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ENGLISH    LANGUAGE: 


AN   INTRODUCTION   TO   THE   STUDY   OF 


GRAMMAR   AND    COMPOSITION, 


FOR   COMMON  SCHOOLS. 


BERNARD   BIGSBY,  Univ.  Oxon., 

SUPERINTENDENT   OF   PUBLIC   SCHOOLS,    PORT   HURON  ;   LATE   LECTURER 

TO  THE   MICHIGAN   STATE    NORMAL  SCHOOL;   AUTHOR  OF 

"THE  HISTORY   OF  THE   ENGLISH   LANGUAGE." 


BOSTON: 

GINN    BROTHERS,    PUBLISHERS. 

18  74. 


e.jf.n.r.g. 


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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

Microsoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/elementsofenglisOObigsrich 


ELEMENTS 


ENGLISH    LANGUAGE: 


AN  INTRODUCTION   TO   THE   STUDY   OF 


GRAMMAR   AND    COMPOSITION. 


FOR  COMMON  SCHOOLS. 


BY 

BERNARD   BIGSBY,  Univ.  Oxon., 

SUPERINTENDENT  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,   PORT  HURON;  LATE  LECTURER 

TO  THE   MICHIGAN  STATE   NORMAL  SCHOOL;   AUTHOR  OP 

"THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  ENGLISH  LANGUAGE." 


BOSTON: 

GINN    BROTHERS,    PUBLISHERS. 

1874. 


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EDUCATION  DEPTV 

Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1874, 

BY    BERNARD    BIGSBY, 

in  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


University  Press:  Welch,  Bigelow,  &  Co., 
Cambridge. 


PREFACE. 


Notwithstanding  the  number  of  text-books  and  the  pro- 
fessions of  instructors,  the  science  of  teaching  Composition  is 
yet  in  its  infancy.  Authors  are  too  accustomed  to  burden 
their  productions  with  rules  and  illustrations,  and  to  ignore 
the  fact  that  the  attainment  of  perfection  must  be  sought 
in  practical  exercises  rather  than  in  elaborated  theories  and 
precepts. 

Composition,  as  its  name  declares,  is  the  art  of  putting 
together.  The  child,  prattling  by  its  mother's  knee,  is  un- 
consciously engaged  in  the  first  steps  of  the  study.  The 
simple  word,  the  quality  and  action  of  the  word,  the  phrase, 
the  sentence,  come  in  a  natural  course  as  the  results  of  its 
powers  of  observation  and  imitation.  In  our  teaching,  we 
'  must  follow  the  golden  rules  of  nature.  The  very  basis  of 
our  vocation  is  to  search  into  the  way  of  the  child's  taking 
hold  by  little  and  little  of  what  we  teach  it,  so  that  our 
efforts  may  be  within  its  reach. 

"We  should  not  attempt  at  too  early  an  age  to  introduce  the 
Grammar*  into  the  school-room.  It  is  better,  by  means  of 
such  a  subsidiary  as  is  to  be  found  in  Part  I.  of  this  text- 
book, to  give  children  a  knowledge  of  the  uses  of  words  and 
the  power  to  express  their  ideas,  than  to  trouble  their  thoughts 
and  clog  their  memories  with  grammatical  rules,  which  to 
them  signify  nothing  but  mere  notions  of  general  terms. 
Rules  are  results,  and  we  should  seek  to  lead  the  pupil  step 
by  step  to  the  attainment  of  these  results  by  practical  ex- 

M193146 


IV  PREFACE. 

perience  ;  then,  and  then  only,  he  will  arrive  at  a  knowledge 
of  their  character  and  an  appreciation  of  their  usefulness. 

But  the  text-book  on  Composition  should  not  only  be  an 
aid  to  the  acquisition  of  correct  expression,  but  a  means  of 
cultivating  habits  of  thought  and  observation.  With  this 
end  in  view,  the  exercises  should  be  on  simple  and  familiar 
objects,  if  possible  visible  at  the  time  of  study,  —  the  child's 
attention  being  thus  more  readily  awakened,  and  its  interest 
sustained.  The  contents  of  Part  II.  of  this  work  seem  to  me 
to  happily  meet  our  requirements  in  this  respect.  By  a  well- 
prepared  arrangement  of  lessons  on  common  objects,  and 
exercises  in  comparison,  memory,  the  senses,  the  results  of 
experiments,  the  sources  of  things,  their  parts,  and  their  uses, 
the  Author  has  done  much  to  elaborate  a  useful  system  of 
elementary  training. 

In  Part  III.  another  quality  is  brought  to  bear  on  the 
student,  —  the  necessity  of  research,  and  the  consequent  ex- 
pansion of  knowledge.  A  methodical  system  of  arrangement 
teaches  the  pupil  to  classify  the  information  thus  obtained,  to 
sift  its  true  meaning,  and  to  express  in  his  own  words  the 
sentiments  of  the  writer  from  whom  he  seeks  inspiration. 

Parts  IV.  and  V.  are  devoted  to  lessons  of  a  higher  order, 
such  as  the  comparing  of  different  historical  characters,  criti- 
cising, paraphrasing,  summarizing,  and  theme- writing,  judi- 
cious help  being  given  to  the  student  in  these  important 
branches. 

The  most  noticeable  features  of  the  volume  are  the  self-ex- 
planation of  the  exercises,  their  total  freedom  from  monotony 
and  vain  repetition,  and  the  well-graded  progression  of  their 
advancement. 

DUANE  DOTY, 
Superintendent  of  Detroit  Public  Schools. 

Detroit,  July  1,  1874. 


AUTHOR'S  NOTE. 


The  success  of  a  similar  work  from  his  pen,  issued  six 
years  ago  by  Thomas  Murby,  the  eminent  educational  pub- 
lisher of  Fleet  Street,  London,  and  its  universal  adoption  in 
the  middle-class  schools  of  England,  lead  the  Author  to  hope 
for  a  generous  patronage  from  his  fellow-teachers  in  America. 
Riper  experience  and  a  more  extensive  field  of  labor  have  en- 
abled him  to  mature  the  methods  developed  in  this  volume, 
and  he  trusts  that  in  the  result  of  his  efforts  will  be  found  a 
useful  aid  to  the  great  work  of  elementary  education. 


CONTENTS, 


PART    I. 

THE  ELEMENTS   OP   GRAMMAR. 

Lesson  Page 

1.  Names  of  Objects      .                 1 

2.  Names  and  Numbers 1 

3.  The  Parts  of  Things 2 

4.  Possession 2 

5.  Simple  Qualities .3 

6.  Double  Qualities 3 

7.  Triple  Qualities 4 

8.  Comparison 4 

9.  Comparison 5 

10.  Comparison 5 

11.  Being 6 

12.  Being  (two  subjects) 6 

13.  Being  {was  or  were)  .         .         .         .                  .         .  7 

14.  Being  (has  or  have  been)        .....  7 

15.  Being  (had  been)       .......  8 

16.  Being  (shall  or  will  be) 8 

17.  Actions  (animal) 9 

18.  Actions  (inanimate) 9 

19.  Action 10 

20.  Action  (extended) 10 

21.  Qualities  of  Actions. — Adverbs  of  Manner        .        .  11 

22.  Adverbs  of  Time 11 

23.  Adverbs  of  Place 12 

24.  Adverbs  of  Quantity 13 


Vlll 


CONTENTS. 


25.  Adverbs  affirming  or  denying 13 

26.  Adverbs  of  Doubt  or  Uncertainty .        .        .        .  14 

27.  Prepositions 14 

28.  Prepositions 15 

29.  Prepositions      .         .         .         •  .         .        .15 

30.  Conjunctions 16 

31.  Disjunctions 16 

32.  Disjunctions 17 

33.  Interjections .17 

Punctuation 17 

PAKT    II. 

FORMATION    OP   SENTENCES. 


1. 

Simple  Description  of  Inanimate  Things 

22 

2. 

Simple  Description  of  Places     . 

.       23 

3. 

Simple  Description  of  Persons 

23 

4. 

Simple  Description  of  Animals  . 

.       24 

5. 

Comparison  of  Animals 

25 

6. 

Description  of  Buildings  .... 

.       26 

7. 

Description  of  a  School          .         . 

26 

8. 

Description  of  a  Meal        .... 

.       27 

9. 

Simple  Narration 

28 

10. 

Simple  Narration 

.       29 

11. 

Exercises  in  Memory 

29 

12. 

Exercises  on  the  Comparison  of  Ideas 

.       30 

13. 

To  fill  up  Ellipses 

30 

14. 

Expansion  of  Words          .... 

.       31 

15. 

Contraction  of  Words 

31 

16. 

To  fill  up  Ellipses 

.       33 

17. 

Composing  a  Fable 

32 

18. 

On  the  Senses 

.       33 

19. 

Composing  a  Fable 

34 

20. 

A  Narrative 

.       34 

21. 

Simple  Historical  Biography 

35 

22. 

A  Fable 

.       35 

CONTENTS. 


23.  Contraction  of  Sentences 

24.  Transposition    .... 

25.  Translation  of  Poetry  into  Prose 

26.  Translation  of  Poetry  into  Prose 

27.  Simple  Narrative  . 

28.  Grammatical  Exercise 

29.  Senses  and  Experiments 

30.  Senses  and  Experiments 

31.  Senses  and  Experiments 

32.  Senses  and  Experiments 

33.  The  Sources  of  Things  . 

34.  The  Sources  of  Things 

35.  The  Sources  of  Things  . 

36.  The  Sources  of  Things 

37.  The  Sources  of  Things  . 

38.  The  Uses  of  Things  . 

39.  The  Uses  of  Things 

40.  The  Sources  of  the  Parts  of  Things 

41.  Substitution  .... 

42.  Exercises  on  the  Comparison  of  Ideas 
Letter- Writing   .... 

43.  Letter  to  a  Teacher  . 

44.  Letter  to  a  Friend 

45.  Letter  to  a  Parent     . 

46.  Letter  to  a  Friend 

47.  Letter  to  an  Acquaintance 

48.  Letter  to  a  School-Fellow 
Grammatical  Analysis  of  Sentences 


37 
38 
40 
41 
42 
42 
43 
43 
44 
44 
45 
45 
45 
45 
45 
46 
46 
46 
47 
47 
52 
52 
52 
52 
52 
52 
53 


PART  III. 

CONSTRUCTION    OF   PARAGRAPHS. 


1.  How  David  Baird  lost  his  Money 

2.  Robinson  Crusoe  discovers  a  Footprint 

3.  The  Island  of  Utopia 


62 
63 
64 


CONTENTS. 


4.  Letter  to  a  Friend  of  the  Family    . 

5.  Humanity  of  Sir  Robert  Bruce    . 

6.  The  Arrest  of  Lafayette . 

7.  The  Return  of  Columbus    . 

8.  The  Frogs  desiring  a  King 

9.  The  Offering  of  Isaac 

10.  A  Snow-Storm  ;  a  Picnic  Party 

11.  A  Game  at  Croquet     .... 

12.  William  Tell 

13.  The  Chateau  of  Fontainebleau    . 

14.  The  Coliseum  .... 

15.  Brussels 

16.  Our  Town 

17.  Falls  of  Niagara         .... 

18.  A  Piano 

19.  A  Buggy  ;  a  Prin ting-Press 

20.  A  Man-of-War  ;  a  Clock 

21.  A  Dictionary  ;  a  Gate 

22.  A  Church  ;  an  Umbrella  ;  a  Photograph 

23.  A  Plough  ;  a  Teapot ;  a  Lead-Pencil  . 

24.  A  Spade  ;  a  Thimble  ;  a  Slipper 

25.  A  Pistol ;  a  Chair  ;  a  Telescope  . 

26.  Truth    ..... 

27.  Benevolence ;  Duplicity 

28.  Friendship  ;  Hypocrisy  . 

29.  Perseverance  ;  Cowardice  ;  Envy 

30.  Revenge  ;  Mercy  ;  Justice 

31.  Ambition  ;  Extravagance  ;  Pride 

32.  Malice  ;  Charity  ;  Faith 

33.  Our  School  Building  . 

34.  The  White  House  at  Washington    . 

35.  A  Museum  ;  a  Depot  . 

36.  A  Church  ;  a  City  Hall   . 

37.  The  City  of  New  York 

38.  The  Steamship  Ville  du  Havre 

39.  A  Harmonium   . 

40.  A  Steam- Engine     .... 


CONTENTS. 


The  Bible 

A  Steam -Plough  ;  a  Musical  Box        . 
A  Violet ;  a  Picture        .... 
A  Bird's-Nest ;  a  Tree 
A  Theodolite  ;  a  Stove    .... 
An  Album  ;  a  Steam- Packet 

The  Use  of  Steam 

The  Assassination  of  President  Lincoln 

The  Discovery  of  America       .         ,         , 

The  Landing  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  . 

The  Great  Fire  at  Chicago 

The  Laying  of  the  Atlantic  Cable 

The  Eclipse  of  the  Sun  .... 

The  Discovery  of  the  Circulation  of  the  Blood 

Envy 

Friendship 

Obedience 

Filial  Affection  ..... 

Bravery 

Industry;  Contentment     . 
Constancy  ;  Tattling  ;  Jealousy 
Benjamin  Franklin  ;  Napoleon   . 
George  Washington         .... 

William  Penn 

General  Lafayette  ..... 

Washington  Irving     .... 

George  Peabody      . 

General  Sherman        .... 

George  Bancroft ;  Edward  Everett  .        . 

Daniel  Webster  ;  John  S.  Mill    . 

Sir  Walter  Scott ;  Lord  Byron 


CONTENTS. 


PART    IV. 


10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 


FIGURES    OF    SPEECH. 

Simile,  or  Comparison 90 

Metaphor 91 

Allegory     .         .         . 92 

Allegory  (continued) 93 

Man  as  a  Ship,  sailing  over  the  Sea  of  Life  .         .93 

The  Human  Passions  as  a  Garden  of  Flowers  and  Weeds  94 

Life  as  the  Seasons 94 

The  Feelings  as  Strains  of  Music     .         .         .         .  94 

Personification 94 

Apostrophe 95 

Antithesis 95 

Hyperbole.  —  Climax.  —  Irony 96 

Interrogation. — Metonomy. — Synecdoche          .         .  97 

Rules  for  English  Composition      ...  99 


PART    V. 


ON   THE   STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES. 


1.  The  Loss  of  the  Yille  du  Havre  . 

2.  The  Fate  of  Ginevra 

3.  James  Fairburn's  Adventure 

4.  Ellen's  Secret  .... 

5.  The  Adventure  of  Ponce  de  Leon 

6.  The  Coming  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers 

7.  The  Conquest  of  Mexico  by  Cortez 

8.  De  Soto's  Discovery  of  the  Mississippi 

9.  An  Indian  Massacre    .... 

10.  A  Great  Battle        .... 

11.  The  Growth  of  "Virginia 

12.  Life  of  Washington  Irving 


102 
104 
105 
106 
107 
108 
109 
109 
110 
110 
110 
110 


dual 


CONTENTS, 

13.  Life  of  Pythagoras     . 

14.  Life  of  Napoleon  III.     . 

15.  Life  of  Abraham  Lincoln    . 

16.  Life  of  a  Distinguished  Indiv: 

17.  The  Tower  of  London 

18.  St.  Peter's  at  Rome 

19.  The  Falls  of  Niagara . 

20.  Pilgrim  Hall,  Plymouth  . 

21.  The  Mammoth  C&ye,  Kentucky 

22.  A  Camera  Obscura 

23.  An  Electric  Battery    . 

24.  A  Telegraphic  Apparatus 

25.  A  Printing-Press 

26.  An  Organ 

27.  A  Steam-Packet 

28.  Intemperance  •         • 

29.  Barbarism  .         .         • 

30.  Imagination    .        •        • 

31.  Revenge     .        .         • 

32.  The  Pyramids  of  Egypt . 

33.  A  Watch    . 

34.  A  Balloon 

35.  A  Photograph     . 

36.  A  Sewing- Machine 

37.  The  Burning  of  Moscow 

38.  The  Assassination  of  Abraham  Lincoln 

39.  The  Laying  of  the  Atlantic  Cable 

40.  The  Abolition  of  Slavery 

41.  Common  Sense 

42.  Oratory 

43.  Drunkenness  the  Ruin  of  Thousands   . 

44.  Compulsory  Education  good  for  the  State 

45.  Labor  the  Source  of  National  Prosperity 

46.  Honor  and  Fame  from  no  Condition  rise 

47.  Crosses  are  Blessings  in  Disguise 

48.  Birds  of  a  Feather  flock  together    .        • 
The  Vanity  of  Riches         •        .        • 


XIV 


CONTENTS. 


50.  The  Advantages  of  Industry  .... 

51.  Well  begun  is  half  done 

52.  Books  are  the  Medicine  of  the  Mind 

53.  The  Value  of  a  Good  Character  .... 

54.  International  Expositions        .... 

55.  Comparing  Modern  Times  with  Antiquity   . 

56.  The  Uses  and  Abuses  of  the  Newspaper  Press 

57.  The  Combat  between  the  Horatii  and  the  Curatii 

58.  Mind  makes  the  Body  rich     .... 

59.  Time  a  Paradox .         .         .        . 

60.  Pearl-Fishing         .        .         .        . 

61.  The  Eloquence  of  the  Sacred  "Writings 

A  Catechism  of  Versification,  or  Prosody 


131 
132 
133 
134 
135 
136 
137 
138 
139 
140 
140 
141 
148 


PAET   I. 

ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


LESSON    I. 

NAMES    OF    OBJECTS. 

Write  the  names  of  twenty  different  objects. 

EXAMPLE. 

A  cow,  a  cat,  a  dog,  a  chair,  a  horse,  a  spade,  a  door, 
a  glass,  a  cart,  a  rake,  a  desk,  a  pen,  a  pencil,  a  house,  a  gate, 
a  knife,  a  whip,  a  man,  a  boy,  a  girl. 


LESSON    II. 


NAMES    AND    NUMBERS. 


Write  the  names  and  numbers  of  things  you  can  see, 
or  think  of,  in  a  church,  a  parlor,  a  kitchen,  a  field, 
a  ship,  a  barn,  a  yard,  a  store,  a  depot. 

B  EXAMPLE. 

The  names  and  numbers  of  things  in  a  school-room. 

Fifty  seats.  One  teacher's  desk.  One  clock.  Five  maps. 
Two  globes.  Seven  chairs.  One  stove.  One  harmonium. 
Two  tables. 


Z  THE    ELEMENTS    OF   GRAMMAR. 

.      LESSON   III. 

THE   PARTS   OP   THINGS. 

Write  the  name  of  a  part  of  each  of  the  following 
objects  :  a  booh,  a  chair,  a  house,  a  gun,  a  watch, 
a  room,  a  coat,  a  tree,  a  garden,  a  hive,  a  spade, 
a  knife,  a  fork,  a  stable,  a  piano,  a  bottle,  a  boot, 
a  pitcher. 

EXAMPLE. 
The  name  of  a  part  of  a  flower. 
The  stem  of  a  flower. 

The  name  of  a  part  of  a  book. 
The  leaf  of  a  book. 


LESSON    IV. 

POSSESSION. 

An  apostrophe  is  an  accent  or  mark,  showing  that 
there  is  something  cnt  off,  and  it  is  used  to  signify 
possession. 

Write  with  an  apostrophe  each  of  the  following 
phrases  :  — 

The  hat  of  the  man.  The  tail  of  the  dog.  The  head  of 
the  horse.  The  leg  of  the  table.  The  glove  of  the  girl. 
The  milk  of  the  cow.  The  whip  of  the  driver.  The  top  of 
the  mountain.  The  source  of  the  river.  The  brightness  of 
the  sun.  The  roar  of  the  lion.  The  hunger  of  the  child. 
The  stripes  of  the  tiger.  The  cry  of  the  baby.  The  skin 
of  the  bear.     The  howl  of  the  wolf.     The  thickness  of  the 


ENGLISH   COMPOSITION.  6 

ice.     The  cunning  of  the  fox.     The  speed  of  the  hare.     The 
color  of  the  grass. 

EXAMPLE. 
The  saw  of  the  carpenter. 
The  carpenter's  saw. 

The  boat  of  the  ship. 
The  ship's  boat. 


LESSON    V. 

SIMPLE   QUALITIES. 

The  quality  of  a  thing  is  its  condition,  as  a  dry  boot, 
a  ivet  stocking. 

Write  down  one  quality  of  each  of  the  following : 
a  booh,  a  needle,  a  knife,  a  pen,  a  stone,  a  boot,  a  cow, 
a  game,  a  fish,  a  cat,  a  spade,  a  pitcher,  a  fork,  a  toad, 
a  coat,  a  clock,  a  man. 

EXAMPLE. 

Qualify  a  dog,  a  cat,  a  rat,  a  table. 

A  black  dog.  A  brown  rat. 

A  white  cat.  A  small  table. 


LESSON    VI. 

DOUBLE   QUALITIES. 

Write  two  qualities  of  these  objects :  river,  wave, 
forest,  island,  flower,  lake,  cloud,  town,  sea,  ship,  gun, 
turnip,  mouse,  cart,  globe. 


THE    ELEMENTS    OF    GRAMMAR. 

EXAMPLE. 
Doubly  qualify  hat,  book,  coat. 

A  new  black  hat. 
A  pretty  new  book. 
An  old  brown  coat. 


LESSON    VII. 

TRIPLE    QUALITIES. 

Give  three  qualities  to  the  following  objects  :  swan, 
viper,  wolf,  frog,  butterfly,  gnat,  wasp,  goat,  duclc,  hen, 
fly,  horse,  pigeon,  cow,  girl,  American,  Turk,  Spaniard, 
Siuede,  Dane,  Dutchman. 

EXAMPLE. 

Give  three  qualities  to  a  pebble,  a  man,  an  Englishman. 

A  smooth  round  white  pebble. 
A  tall  dark  handsome  man. 
A  fair  fat  frugal  Englishman. 


LESSON   VIII. 


COMPARISON. 


Write  two  qualities  of  each  of  the  following  objects, 
and  let  the  second  quality  be  stronger  than  the  first : 
a  city,  an  ox,  an  ass,  a  stone,  a  watch,  a  knife,  a  mouth, 
an  eye,  a  ball,  a  cat,  a  leaf,  a  rope,  a  loaf,  a  ciqo, 
a  hammer,  an  axe,  a  ring,  a  stove. 


ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


EXAMPLE. 


Write  down  two  qualities  of  a  street,  a  cheese,  and  a  knife,  making  the 
second  quality  stronger  than  the  first. 

A  long  street,  a  longer  street. 
A  small  cheese,  a  smaller  cheese. 
A  heavy  knife,  a  heavier  knife. 


LESSON    IX. 

COMPARISON. 

Write  three  qualities  of  the  following  objects,  the  sec- 
ond being  stronger  than  the  first,  and  the  third  than  the 
second :  a  room,  a  tree,  a  cable,  a  boat,  a  saddle,  a  map, 
a  wall,  a  river,  a  door,  a  kettle,  a  drum,  a  whip,  a  toy, 
a  string,  a  goose,  a  mouse,  a  mule. 


Three  comparative  qualities  of  a  boy,  a  stick,  a  knife. 
A  strong  boy,     a  stronger  boy,     the  strongest  boy. 
A  thick  stick,     a  thicker  stick,     the  thickest  stick. 
A  sharp  knife,  a  sharper  knife,  the  sharpest  knife. 


LESSON   X. 


COMPARISON. 


Write  three  comparative  qualities  of  three  different 
things,  as :  boat,  brig,  steamer  ;  river,  lake,  bay ;  rat,  cat, 
dog  ;  box,  table,  chair ;  shoe,  coat,  scarf;  hat,  glove,  shawl; 
book,  slate,  pencil;  field,  park,  prairie;  thief,  forger, 
murderer. 


6  THE   ELEMENTS   OF   GRAMMAR. 

EXAMPLE. 
Write  three  comparative  qualities  of  iron,  silver,  gold ;  girl,  boy,  man. 
Iron  is  heavy,        silver  heavier,         gold  heaviest. 
A  girl  is  strong,     a  boy  is  stronger,    a  man  is  strongest. 


LESSON    XI. 

BEING. 

Write  trie  following  words  separately  and  add  a 
quality  to  each :  a  church,  a  dollar,  a  saw,  a  pen, 
a  buggy,  a  brook,  a  pine,  a  post,  a  train,  a  telegram, 
a  teapot,  a  cabbage,  a  squirrel,  a  purse,  a  toy,  a  hen, 
a  prison,  a  depot,  a  rainbow,  a  rose,  a  sled,  a  skate. 

EXAMPLE. 
Write  down  something  regarding  the  building,  the  paper,  the  song. 
The  building  is  elegant. 
The  paper  is  clean. 
The  song  is  sweet. 


LESSON   XII. 

being  (two  subjects). 

Write  the  following  words  in  pairs  and  add  a  quality 
that  can  be  said  of  both  :  dogs  and  horses,  milk  and 
water,  oil  and  tallow,  glass  and  ice,  paper  and  pens,  cows 
and  calves,  gas  and  air,  Boston  and  Detroit,  Ypsilanti 
and  Chicago,  General  Grant  and  General  Sherman,  cats 
and  kittens,  the  boat  and  tine  ship. 


ENGLISH  COMPOSITION. 


Add  a  quality  that  can  be  said  of  silk  and  cotton, 
sugar  and  salt,  hail  and  snow. 

Silk  and  cotton  are  valuable. 
Sugar  and  salt  are  soluble. 
Hail  and  snow  are  cold. 


LESSON    XIII. 

being  (ivas  or  were). 

Write  the  name  of  each  of  the  following  objects  and 
give  the  quality  they  had  once :  bed,  wagons,  coffee, 
crabs,  salt,  apples,  pears,  grapes,  men,  whalebone,  marble, 
flannel. 

EXAMPLE. 
Give  the  qualities  the  watch,  the  wind,  the  cloud,  had. 
The  watch  was  new. 
The  wind  was  high. 
The  clouds  were  dark. 


LESSON    XIV. 

being  (has  or  have  been). 

Write  sentences  about  John,  the  cat,  the  sailors,  the 
cows,  the  tables,  the  crows,  the  ribbons,  the  waves,  the  snow, 
the  ship,  the  thunder,  the  rain,  the  wheel,  the  lesson,  the 
whip,  the  book,  making  use  of  the  expression  "has"  or 
"  have  been." 


THE    ELEMENTS    OF   GRAMMAR. 

EXAMPLE. 

Henry,  many  "books,  cities. 

Henry  has  been  here  twice. 
Many  books  have  been  lost. 
Cities  have  been  destroyed. 


LESSON   XV. 

being  (had  been). 

Write  sentences  abont  the  house,  the  moon,  the  boy,  the 
horse,  the  merchant,  the  pool,  the  woman,  the  spire,  the  jay, 
the  dog,  the  Romans,  the  toad,  employing  the  "bad  been." 


John,  king,  sheep. 

Jobn  had  been  here  before  you. 
The  king  had  been  bathing. 
The  sheep  had  been  running. 


LESSON    XVI. 

being  (will  or  shall  be). 

Write  sentences  in  which  yon  use  "will"  or  "shall 
be." 

example. 

The  river  vrill  be  muddy. 
He  shall  be  whijiped. 
The  sky  will  be  red. 


ENGLISH    COMPOSITION.  \) 

LESSON    XVII. 

actions  (animal). 

Write  what  trie  following  animals  do :  the  ass,  the 
raven,  the  tiger,  the  buffalo,  the  rook,  the  linnet,  the 
bear,  the  eagle,  the  salmon,  the  deer,  the  squirrel,  the 
worm,  the  serpent,  the  buzzard,  the  raccoon,  the  elephant, 
the  lion,  the  kangaroo. 

EXAMPLE. 

The  sheep,  the  -worm,  the  raven. 

The  sheep  bleats. 

The  worm  crawls. 

The  raven  croaks. 


LESSON   XVIII. 

actions  (inanimate). 

"Write  down  what  the  following  objects  do  :  roses, 
glass,  rain,  snow,  the  sea,  the  sun,  trees,  stars,  copper, 
coal,  aspen,  the  hail,  the  thunder,  the  lightning,  the  river, 
the  ship,  water,  flowers,  steel,  lead. 


Gold,  diamonds,  the  wind. 

Gold  glitters. 
Diamonds  sparkle. 
The  wind  blows. 


10  THE   ELEMENTS   OF    GRAMMAR. 

LESSON   XIX. 

ACTION. 

Write  sentences  about  William,  the  dog,  the  cat,  the 
man,  the  horse,  the  monkey ',  the  crane,  the  kite,  the  flea, 
the  fish,  having,  1.  the  name  of  the  person  or  thing  acting; 
2.  the  name  of  the  action  ;  and  3.  the  name  of  the  person 
or  thing  acted  on,  and  observe  the  following  form. 


EXAMPLE. 

John,  the  sun,  the  dog. 

1. 

John 
The  sun 
The  dog 

2. 

touches 

melts 

caught 

3. 

the  table, 
the  wax. 
the  rat. 

l: 

esson  : 

XX. 

EXTENDED   ACTION. 

Write  sentences  having 

1.  The  quality  of  the  actor  ; 

2.  The  name  of  the  actor  ; 

3.  The  action  ; 

4.  The  quality  of  the  object ; 

5.  The  name  of  the  object, 

and  take  these  words  to  write  about :  the  mischievous 
boy,  the  old  man,  the  wise  child,  the  fast  horse,  the  slow 
tortoise,  the  cunning  jay,  the  rich  banker,  the  poor  laborer, 
the  ugly  duck,  the  little  girl,  the  good  woman. 


ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


11 


EXAMPLE. 

The  benevolent  Peabody,  the  dishonest  boy,  the  faithful  dog. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

The  benevolent 

Peabody 

relieved 

starving 

children 

The  dishonest 

boy 

stole 

black 

cloth. 

The  faithful 

dog 

guarded 

the  young 

sheep. 

LESSON    XXI. 

QUALITIES  OF  ACTIONS. ADVERBS  OF  MANNER. 

Complete  the  following  sentences  by  adding  how  or 
in  what  manner  the  action  was  done  : 

I  gave  it. . . 
He  talked. . . 
We  danced... 


John  dances... 
Peter  sings... 
He  spoke... 
It  runs... 
He  did  it... 
It  measures  that. . 


They  fought... 
Emma  laughs... 
Ethel  chatters. . . 


EXAMPLE. 


Henry  calls. . . 
Willie  runs. . . 

Henry  calls  loudly. 
Willie  runs  swiftly. 


The  cat  mews. . . 
The  rat  bites. . . 

The  cat  mews  prettily. 
The  rat  bites  viciously. 


LESSON    XXII. 

ADVERBS  OF  TIME. 


Fill  in  the  words  implying  when  the  action  was  done 
in  the  following  sentences  : 


12 


THE    ELEMENTS    OF    GRAMMAR. 


He  will... be  ten  years  old. 

I  shall  be  glad... I  am  rich. 

Can  yon  speak. . . 

The  time  goes... 

I  am. .  .thinking  of  you. 


He  was... good. 

The  good  are... happy. 

Be  quiet... you  are  at  work. 

...he  was  here  he  has  done., 

Are  y ou... happy  ? 


He  will... be  here. 
When  it  was... known. 


The  tortoise  goes... 
I  pay  my  rent... 


He  will  soon  be  here. 
When  it  was  first  known. 


The  tortoise  goes  slowly, 
I  pay  my  rent  yearly. 


LESSON   XXIII. 


ADVERBS  OF  PLACE. 

Insert  the  word  telling  where  the  following  actions 
were  done  : 

. .  .was  Caesar  killed  1 

She  was... 

He  came... in  time. 


He  is  not  going. . . 
The  crab  swims... 
The  door  opens... 


He  is  lying. . . 
She  went... 
...it  is. 
Come. . . 

. .  .are  you  going  1 
The  kite  flies... 


EXAMPLE. 


He  came... in  June.  i 

She  lived... two  years. 

He  came  here  in  June. 
She  lived  there  two  years.  | 


I  leaned... 
She  looked... 

I  leaned  forward. 
She  looked  up. 


ENGLISH    COMPOSITION. 


13 


LESSON    XXIV. 


ADVERBS    OF    QUANTITY. 

Fill  in  the  words  to  express  how  much  of  the  action  in 
the  following  sentences  was  done  : 


She  spoke... 
It  is... nice. 
He  lauded... 
He  lived... 
She  liked  it... 
He  is... happy. 


It  is... probable. 
You  talk... fast. 
He  is... better. 
He  is. .  .well. 
You  are... rich. 
Jane  is... gay. 


He  talks... much. 
John  sings... well. 


EXAMPLE. 


I  read... fast. 
He  is... rich. 


He  talks  too  much. 
John  sings  very  well. 


I  read  extremely  fast. 
He  is  immensely  rich. 


LESSON    XXV. 


ADVERBS    AFFIRMING    OR   DENYING. 

Fill  in  the  words  required  to  affirm  or  deny  the  action 
of  the  following  sentences  : 


Air  is... an  element. 
You  are... tall. 
He  is... talented. 
...you  are  wrong. 


He  will... come. 
Are  you  going  ?     ... 
...     I  am  going. 
You  must... stay  here. 


14 


THE   ELEMENTS   OF    GRAMMAR. 


EXAMPLE. 


May  he  play  1    ... 
He  is... rich. 

May  he  play  1    No. 
He  is  not  rich. 


He  is  wrong. . . 
. . .     She  is  sorry. 

He  is  wrong  indeed. 
Yes !    She  is  sorry. 


LESSON   XXVI. 

ADVERBS  OF  DOUBT  OR  UNCERTAINTY. 

Complete  these  sentences   by  filling  in  the  adverbs 
required  to  express  doubt  or  certainty  : 


He  may... give  you  money. 
She  will... call  at  your  house. 
. .  .he  will  do  it. 
If  it  is... he  will. 


...he  will  do  it. 
It  is  yours... 
He  will... allow  it. 
...she  must  have  it. 


EXAMPLE. 


She  may... desert  you. 
Henry  will... give  it  to  you. 

She  may  perhaps  desert  you. 
Henry  will  probably  give  it  to 
you. 


They  may. .  .allow  it. 
The  wicked  shall... perish. 

They  may  possibly  allow  it. 
The  wicked  shall  undoubt- 
edly perish. 


LESSON    XXVII. 


PREPOSITIONS. 


Write  sentences,  using  in  order  each  of  the  following 
prepositions  : 


ENGLISH    COMPOSITION. 


15 


1.  About. 

2.  Above. 

3.  Across. 

4.  After. 

5.  Against. 

6.  Along. 

7.  Amid. 

8.  Among. 


9.  Around. 

10.  At. 

11.  Athwart. 

12.  Before. 

13.  Behind. 

14.  Below. 

15.  Beneath. 

16.  Beside. 


LESSON    XXVIII. 


PREPOSITIONS. 


"Write  sentences,  using  in  order  each  of  the  following 
prepositions  : 


1.  Besides. 

2.  Between. 

3.  Beyond. 

4.  Down. 

5.  During. 

6.  Except. 

7.  For. 

8.  From. 


9.  In. 

10.  Into. 

11.  Instead  of. 

12.  Near. 

13.  Of. 

14.  Off. 

15.  On. 

16.  Over. 


LESSON    XXIX. 

PREPOSITIONS. 

Write  sentences,  using  in  order  each  of  the  following 
prepositions  : 


16 


THE    ELEMENTS    OF   GRAMMAR. 


1.  Out  of. 

2.  Part. 

3.  Round. 

4.  Since. 

5.  Regarding. 

6.  Through. 

7.  Throughout. 

8.  Till. 

9.  To. 


10.  Towards. 

11.  Under. 

12.  Underneath. 

13.  Up. 

14.  Upon. 

15.  With. 

16.  Within. 

17.  Without. 


LESSON    XXX. 


CONJUNCTIONS. 


Write  sentences,  using  in  order  each  of  the  following 
conjunctions  : 


1.  And. 

2.  Before. 

3.  For. 

4.  Because. 

5.  That. 


6.  If. 

7.  Since. 

8.  Therefore. 

9.  Then. 


LESSON    XXXI. 

DISJUNCTIONS. 

Write  sentences,  using  in  order  the  following  disjoin- 
ing conjunctions  : 


1.  Neither,  nor. 

2.  Though,  yet. 

3.  Whether,  or. 

4.  Either,  or. 


5.  So,  as. 

6.  As,  as. 

7.  As,  so. 

8.  So,  that. 


PUNCTUATION. 


17 


LESSON   XXXII. 

DISJUNCTIONS. 


Write  sentences,  using  in  order  the  following  disjoin- 


ing conjunctions : 

1.  Although. 

2.  But. 

3.  Except. 

4.  Notwithstanding. 


5.  Provided. 

6.  Than. 

7.  Unless. 


LESSON    XXXIII. 

INTERJECTIONS. 

Write  sentences,  using  in  order  the  following  words  ; 

1.  Adieu ! 

2.  Ah! 

3.  Alas! 

4.  Away! 

5.  Begone ! 

6.  Hush! 


7. 

Hark  ! 

8. 

Hail! 

9. 

Hurrah ! 

10. 

Lo! 

11. 

Oh! 

PUNCTUATION. 

One  of  the  most  necessary  steps  in  the  art  of  Composi- 
tion is  the  acquirement  of  the  knowledge  of  Punctuation. 

Punctuation  is  to  writing  what  tone  is  to  reading.  It 
lends  to  words  the  spirit  of  sense  and  meaning. 


18  THE   ELEMENTS   OF   GRAMMAR. 

The  Comma  (,)  denotes  the  smallest  division  in  the 
construction  of  a  sentence.  Wherever  a  sentence  is 
divided  into  Clauses,  place  Commas.     Thus  : 

Tennyson's  style,  in  point  of  unintelligihility  of  construc- 
tion, is  open  to  many  objections. 

When  several  nouns,  adjectives,  or  other  parts  of 
speech  follow  each  other,  they  must  be  separated  by  a 
comma.     Thus : 

Men,  women,  and  children  were  there.  It  was  a  warm, 
bright,  and  pleasant  day.  You,  your  brother,  and  I  must 
appear  to-morrow.    Write  clearly,  carefully,  and  correctly. 

Nouns  in  apposition  are  separated  by  a  comma. 
Thus: 

The  butterfly,  child  of  the  summer,  flutters  in  the  sun. 
Alexander  the  Great,  conqueror  of  the  world,  died  at  an 
early  age. 

When  a  verb  is  understood,  it  is  well  to  insert  a 
comma.     Thus : 

As  a  companion,  he  was  severe  ;  as  a  friend,  captious  and 
dangerous  ;  in  his  domestic  sphere,  harsh  and  jealous. 

Exercise.  —  Place  Commas  in  the  following  sen- 
tences : 

a.  The  lives  of  Julius  Csesar  and  Napoleon  I.  will  bear 
many  comparisons.  Each  by  a  bold  resolute  determined 
will  triumphed  over  the  superstition  and  prejudices  of  a 
mighty  nation  and  seized  upon  the  empire  of  a  people  in 
whose  hearts  was  planted  the  love  of  liberty  fraternity  and 
equality.  Each  possessed  with  the  desire  of  ambition  ex- 
tended his  dominions  and  gained  the  good  will  of  his 
warlike  subjects  by  the  display  of  military  pomp  and 
grandeur. 


PUNCTUATION.  19 

b.  Midas  King  of  Phrygia  several  thousand  years  ago  was 
a  very  warlike  monarch  as  the  classic  annals  show. 

c.  Self-conceit  presumption  and  obstinacy  blast  the  pros- 
pects of  many  a  youth. 

d.  To  live  soberly  righteously  and  piously  comprehends 
the  whole  of  our  duty. 

A  Semicolon  (;)  is  a  little  more  expressive  of  separa- 
tion than  a  comma.  You  place  a  Semicolon  where  there 
is  a  change  of  meaning  in  the  sentence,  but  a  continu- 
ance of  the  construction.     Thus  : 

Be  civil  to  all ;  for  civilty  is  the  mark  of  gentility. 

A  Colon  (:)  is  much  more  expressive  of  separation 
than  a  semicolon.  "When  the  construction  of  the  sen- 
tence is  broken,  but  the  sense  continues,  place  a  Colon. 
Thus  : 

Many  clever  men  make  poor  orators  :  in  fact,  oratory  is  an 
individual  gift. 

A  Period  (.)  marks  the  completion  of  the  sentence. 
A  Note   of  Interrogation   (?)   denotes   a   question. 
Thus  :  Wll0  ruleg  2    who  conq>tierB/] 

A  Note  of  Exclamation  (!)  denotes  a  surprise  or  an 
invocation.     Thus : 

How  are  the  mighty  fallen  ! 

A  Parenthesis  is  a  clause  or  part  of  a  sentence  not 
necessary  to  the  sense  of  the  sentence,  but  explanatory, 
and  is  generally  included  between  the  marks  ( ).     Thus  : 

Everything  (for  God  has  made  nothing  in  vain)  has  its 
especial  function  and  duty. 


20  THE   ELEMENTS   OF   GRAMMAR. 

An  Apostrophe  (')  denotes  abbreviation.     Thus  : 
7T  is  for  it  is.     E'er  for  ever.     'Mid  for  amid. 

A  Hyphen  (-)  is  employed  to  connect  compounded 
words ;  as,  Lap-dog. 

Quotation  Marks  ("  ")  denote  that  the  words  of  an- 
other are  introduced.     Thus  : 

"  It  was  the  English,"  Kaspar  cried, 
"  That  put  the  French  to  rout." 

Exercise.  —  Correct  the  following  sentences,  inserting 
the  stops  and  capital  letters  : 

Self-control  is  prompted  by  humility  pride  is  a  fruitful 
source  of  uneasiness  it  keeps  the  mind  in  disquiet  humility 
is  the  antidote  to  this  evil. 

Vice  is  not  of  such  a  nature  that  we  can  say  hitherto  shall 
ye  come  and  no  farther  from  law  arises  security  from 
security  curiosity  from  curiosity  knowledge,  fire  is  with 
regard  to  the  heat  as  the  cause  to  the  effect  it  is  itself  an 
inherent  property  in  some  material  bodies  and  when  in 
action  communicates  heat  fire  is  perceptible  to  us  by  the  eye 
as  well  as  the  touch  heat  is  perceptible  to  us  only  by  the 
touch  fire  spreads  but  heat  dies  away. 

And  I  came  to  the  place  of  my  birth  and  said  to  the 
friends  of  my  youth  where  are  they  and  the  echo  answered 
where  are  they 

Be  careful  to  avoid  tale-bearing  for  that  is  a  vice  of  the  most 
pernicious  nature  and  generally  in  the  end  turns  to  the  dis- 
advantage of  those  that  practise  it  many  things  if  heard  from 
the  mouth  of  the  speaker  would  be  inoffensive  but  they 
carry  a  different  meaning  when  repeated  by  another. 


PUNCTUATION.  21 

Father  of  light  and  life  Thou  good  supreme 
O  teach  me  what  is  good  Teach  me  thyself 
Save  me  from  folly  vanity  and  vice 
From  ev'ry  low  pursuit  and  feed  my  soul 
With  knowledge  conscious  peace  and  virtue  pure 
Sacred  substantial  never-ending  bliss 

Capital  Letters  are  used  in  the  following  cases  : 
1.  the  first  word  of  every  sentence  ;  2.  first  word  of 
every  line  of  poetry  ;  3.  first  word  of  a  direct  quotation ; 

4.  proper  names  and    adjectives   derived   from   them ; 

5.  all  names  of  the  Deity;  6.  days  of  the  week  and 
months  of  the  year;  7.  the  pronoun  7";  8.  important 
words,  as  the  Ee volution,  the  Norman  Conquest ;  9. 
every  principal  word  in  the  title  of  a  work. 

Exercise.  —  Eewrite  the  following,  correct  the  use  of 
capitals  where  required,  underline  the  letters  you  thus 
change,  and  attend  to  the  punctuation  : 

a.   I  am  monarch  of  all  i  survey 
My  right  there  is  none  to  dispute 
From  the  centre  all  round  to  the  sea 
i  am  lord  of  the  fowl  and  the  brute 

6.  The  contemplation  of  the  frailness  and  uncertainty  of 
our  present  State  appeared  of  so  much  importance  to  solon 
of  athens,  that  he  left  this  precept  to  future  ages :  Keep 
thine  eye  fixed  upon  the  end  of  Life. 

c.  On  Wednesday  the  twenty-first  of  august  i  went  down 
to  brighton 

d.  The  reformation  was  begun  by  martin  luther. 

e.  Scott's  lady  of  the  lake  describes  the  scenery  of  the 
trossachs. 


PART   II. 

FORMATION   OF   SENTENCES. 


LESSON   I. 

SIMPLE   DESCRIPTION    OF    INANIMATE   THINGS. 

Describe  a  pen,  a  knife,  a  brick,  a  booh,  a  table, 
a  chair,  a  door,  a  carpet,  a  cup,  a  house,  a  church, 
a  cart,  a  piano,  a  boat,  a  hat,  a  needle,  a  whip, 
a  spade,  a  box,  and  a  bottle,  under  the  following 
headings  : 

1.  What  is  it? 

2.  What  is  its  use  1 

3.  What  is  it  made  of  ? 

EXAMPLE. 
A  chair. 

1.  A  piece  of  furniture. 

2.  Is  used  to  sit  upon. 

3.  Is  generally  made  of  wood. 

Then  rewrite  the  whole  in  a  single  sentence,  thus  : 
A  chair  is  a  piece  of  furniture  used  to  sit  upon,  and  is 
generally  made  of  wood. 


SENTENCES.  23 

LESSON   II. 

SIMPLE   DESCRIPTION    OF    PLACES. 

Describe  New  York,  Buffalo,  Philadelphia,  Cincinnati, 
Detroit,  Chicago,  Boston,  Concord,  Hartford,  Montpelier, 
Richmond,  and  Indianapolis,  under  the  following  head- 
ings: 

1.  What  is  it? 

2.  In  what  State  is  it  1 

3.  On  what  river  is  it  situated  ? 

EXAMPLE. 

Augusta. 

1.  A  city. 

2.  In  the  State  of  Maine. 

3.  Is  on  the  Kennebec. 

Then  rewrite  the  whole  in  a  complete  sentence,  thus  : 
Augusta,  a  city  in  the  State  of  Maine,  is  situated  on  the 
Kennebec. 


LESSON   III. 

DESCRIPTION   OF   PERSONS. 

Describe  any  one  you  know,  and  observe  the  following 
headings  : 

1.  How  is  he  named  ] 

2.  Is  he  a  short  or  tall  man  1 

3.  Where  does  he  live  ? 


24  THE   ELEMENTS   OF   GRAMMAR. 

EXAMPLE. 
My  uncle. 

1.  William  Smith. 

2.  Is  a  tall  man. 

3.  Lives  at  Detroit. 

Rewrite  the  whole  in  a  complete  sentence,  thus  : 

My  uncle,  William  Smith,  is  a  tall  man,  and  lives  at  Detroit. 


LESSON   IV. 

DESCRIPTION    OF   ANIMALS. 

Describe  a  tiger,  a  cat,  a  dog,  a  cow,  a  horse,  a  pig, 
an  elephant,  a  mouse,  an  ass,  a  wolf,  a  rat,  an  eagle, 
a  duck,  a  hen,  a  vulture,  a  hawk,  a  pigeon,  and  a  goose, 
under  these  headings : 

1.  Is  it  a  wild  or  domestic  animal  1 

2.  Of  what  color  is  it  ? 

3.  Where  is  it  found  1 

4.  What  sort  of  a  noise  does  it  make  when  excited  ] 

EXAMPLE. 
A  lion. 

1.  A  wild  animal. 

2.  Of  a  tawny  color. 

3.  Is  found  in  the  jungles  and  forests  of  Africa  and 

other  countries. 

4.  When  excited,  roars. 

Rewrite  the  whole  in  one  sentence,  thus  : 

The  lion,  a  wild  animal  of  a  tawny  color,  is  found  in  the 
forests  and  jungles  of  Africa  and  other  countries,  and,  when 
excited,  roars. 


SENTENCES.  25 

LESSON   V. 

COMPARISON    OF   ANIMALS. 

Describe  the  difference  between  a  dog  and  a  horse, 
a  cat  and  a  rat,  a  cow  and  a  fox,  a  wolf  and  a  pig, 
a  squirrel  and  a  hare,  a  monkey  and  a  porcupine, 
an  ass  and  a  sheep,  an  elephant  and  a  deer,  observing 
these  headings  : 

1.  Food. 

2.  Habits. 

3.  Sounds. 

4.  Coat  or  skin. 

5.  Peculiarity  of  appearance. 

6.  Size. 

7.  Color. 

EXAMPLE. 
A  dog  and  a  hare. 

1.  The  dog  eats  flesh  and  meal ;  the  hare  lives  upon  grass 
and  herbs. 

2.  The  dog  is  domesticated,  bold,  and  intelligent  ;  the 
hare  is  mild,  timid,  and  unintelligent. 

3.  The  dog  barks  ;  the  hare  is  generally  silent,  but,  when 
in  pain,  squeals. 

4.  The  dog  has  a  coat  of  hair  ;  the  hare  has  one  of  fur. 

5.  The  dog  has  a  long  tail ;  the  hare  has  a  small  tuft. 

6.  The  dog  varies  considerably  in  size  ;  the  hare  is  gen- 
erally of  one  size  and  much  smaller  than  the  dog. 

7.  The  dog  differs  in  color ;  the  hare  is  invariably  brown 
or  white. 


26  THE   ELEMENTS   OF   GRAMMAR. 

SIMPLE   PARAGRAPH. 

— ♦— 
LESSON    VI. 

DESCRIPTION    OF   BUILDINGS. 

Describe  separately  a  church,  a  railroad  depot,  and 
a  school-house,  under  these  headings  : 

1.  What  is  it? 

2.  What  is  it  used  for  ? 

3.  Of  what  does  it  consist  ? 

4.  Of  what  is  it  composed  ? 

EXAMPLE. 
A  house. 

1.  It  is  a  building. 

2.  It  is  used  for  a  human  dwelling-place. 

3.  It  consists  of  walls,  roofs,  windows,  doors,  passages, 
rooms,  and  chambers. 

4.  It  is  composed  of  stone,  brick,  marble,  mortar,  wood, 
iron,  and  glass. 

Then  rewrite  the  whole  in  a  single  paragraph,  thus  : 
A  house  is  a  building  used  for  a  human  dwelling-place. 
It  consists  of  walls,  roofs,  windows,  doors,  passages,  closets, 
rooms,  and  chambers  ;    and  it  is  composed  of  stone,  brick, 
marble,  mortar,  wood,  iron,  and  glass. 


LESSON    VII. 

DESCRIPTION    OF   A   SCHOOL. 

Give  a  description  of  your  school,  mentioning  : 


SIMPLE   PARAGRAPH.  27 

1.  What  it  is  called. 

2.  Where  it  is  situated. 

3.  How  many  teachers  there  are. 

4.  How  many  pupils  there  are  in  your  room. 

5.  How  many  classes. 

6.  The  hours  of  work. 

7.  The  holidays. 

8.  The  size  and  shape  of  the  school-room. 

9.  How  many  windows  there  are  in  it. 

10.  How  many  doors. 

11.  How  many  desks  and  forms. 

12.  How  many  pictures  or  maps  on  the  walls. 


LESSON    VIII. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    A   MEAL. 

Give   a    description   of   a    breakfast,    a    dinner,   and 
a  supper,  observing  the  following  points  : 

1.  The  hour. 

2.  The  place. 

3.  Who  sat  down  to  it. 

4.  The  patterns  on  the  plates  and  cups. 

5.  The  fare. 

6.  Incidents  and  accidents. 

EXAMPLE. 
Breakfast. 

1.  Eight  o'clock  in  the  morning. 

2.  The  little  back  parlor. 

3.  Papa,  mamma,  sister  Lucy,  brother  Willie,  and  baby- 
boy  (two  years  old). 

4.  The  cups  and  saucers  were  white  with  green  rims. 


28  THE   ELEMENTS   OF   GRAMMAR. 

The  plates  were  of  the  old-fashioned  willow  pattern,  with 
three  little  Chinese  crossing  a  bridge,  four  temples,  several 
trees  all  fruit  and  boughs,  a  man  in  a  boat,  and  two  huge 
birds  about  five  times  as  big  as  the  men. 

5.  For  papa  and  mamma  there  were  eggs  and  bacon,  toast 
and  tea  ;  for  Lucy,  Willie,  and  me  there  were  tea,  cookies, 
bread,  butter,  and  milk. 

6.  Papa  always  reads  the  newspaper  at  breakfast  ;  and 
just  as  he  was  in  the  middle  of  an  article  in  which  he  was 
very  much  interested,  baby-boy  began  to  ladle  his  sop  into 
the  sugar-basin,  and  upon  Mamma  scolding  him,  screeched  so 
loudly  that  he  had  to  be  carried,  kicking  and  squealing,  up  to 
the  nursery. 


LESSON    IX. 

SIMPLE   NARRATION. 

Eelate  anecdotes  about,  1.  A  little  girl  and  a  lamb; 
2.  A  boy  fishing  and  a  bull ;  3.  A  lost  sheep  and  a 
shepherd's  dog  ;  4.  An  honest  but  poor  old  woman  finding 
a  purse  full  of  money ;  and  observe  these  headings  : 

1.  When  was  it  1 

2.  Where  was  it  ? 

3.  Who  was  it? 

4.  What  was  it  ? 

5.  How  was  it  done  1 

EXAMPLE. 
The  story  of  a  "boy  killing  a  duck. 

1.  This  morning. 

2.  On  the  road  to  school. 

3.  Johnny  Green. 

4.  Johnny  Green  killed  a  duck. 


SIMPLE    PARAGRAPHS.  29 

5.  He  threw  a  stone  at  it.  It  hit  the  duck  on  the  back. 
The  cluck  fell  dead.  Farmer  Noaks  ran  out  with  a  big  stick 
and  gave  Johnny  a  thrashing.     Johnny  cried. 

Then  rewrite  the  whole,  thus  : 

How  Johnny  Green  killed  a  duck. 

This  morning  on  the  road  to  school  Johnny  Green  killed 
a  duck.  He  threw  a  stone  at  it  and  hit  it  on  the  back.  The 
duck  fell  dead,  and  Farmer  Noaks  ran  out  with  a  big  stick 
and  gave  Johnny  a  thrashing,  which  made  Johnny  cry. 


LESSON    X. 

SIMPLE   NARRATION. 

Eelate  anecdotes  about,  1.  The  story  of  Joseph  being 
put  into  the  pit ;  2.  Daniel  in  the  lions'  den ;  3.  The  in- 
nocents being  slain  by  Herod;  and  observe  these  headings : 

1.  When  was  it  1 

2.  Where  was  it  ? 

3.  Who  was  it? 

4.  What  was  it  1  {Place  the  answer  to  this  as  the  heading  to 
the  paragraph.) 

5.  How  was  it  done  1 


LESSON   XL 

EXERCISES    IN   MEMORY. 

Name  all  the  things  you  can  think  of  that  you  would 
be  likely  to  see  in 

1.  A  farm-yard  ; 

2.  A  church ; 


30  THE    ELEMENTS    OF    GRAMMAR. 

3.  A  ramble  by  the  sea-shore  ; 

4.  A  wild-beast  show  ; 

5.  A  bazaar. 


LESSON    XII. 

EXERCISES   ON    THE   COMPARISON    OF   IDEAS. 

If  all  things  increased  in  proportion,  and  a  cat  were  seven 
feet  high,  how  high  would  a  mouse  be  ? 

If  a  ruler  were  four  feet  in  circumference,  what  would  the 
circumference  of  a  pen-holder  be  1 

If  a  man's  nose  were  eighteen  inches  long,  how  long  would 
his  teeth  be  ? 

If  a  cent  weighed  two  pounds,  what  would  be  the  weight 
of  a  silver  dollar  1 


LESSON    XIII. 

TO    FILL    UP   ELLIPSES. 

Insert  the  required  words  in  the  following  sentences  : 

1.  When  he  ...  to  Detroit,  he  ...  that  his  aunt  ...  dead, 
and  that  ...  uncle  had  married  again.  2.  John  has  a  ... 
pony.  I  wish  he  . . .  let  me  . . .  upon  it.  It  has  a  . . .  tail  and 
mane,  and  ...  beautifully.  3.  Our  dog  Nero  will  ...  and 
carry  . . .  you  may  . . .  him.  4.  The  tongue  was  ...  us  to  ... 
5.  The  book  is  full  of  ...  6.  The  swallow  catches  ...  in 
his  ...  7.  The  master  ...  the  boy  when  he  is  ...  8.  A 
queen  wears  a  ...  on  her  ...  9.  The  minister  preaches  ...  to 
his  ...  10.  The  ship  sailed  from  ...  in  fine  weather  ...  but 
after  a  ...  there  came  ...  and  she  was  ...  11.  I  ...  apples, 
but  I  would  ...  oranges.  12.  Butter  is  made  from  ...  by  ... 
13.  The  king  ...     14.  The  horses  ... 


SIMPLE   PARAGRAPHS.  31 

LESSON    XIV. 

EXPANSION    OP   WORDS. 

Expand  the  words  printed  in  Italics  in  the  following 
sentences  : 

1.  Delay  is  always  dangerous.  2.  Lincoln  acted  sternly 
and  decidedly  when  it  was  necessary  to  do  so.  3.  Very  brave 
soldiers  fell  at  Gettysburg.  4.  The  boy  ran  quickly.  5.  He 
acts  impatiently.  6.  The  people  believed  in  him.  7.  I  learn 
my  lessons  easily.  8.  John  gave  him  the  book.  9.  Gertrude 
sings  sweetly. 

EXAMPLE. 

Error  is  human  ;  forgiveness,  divine. 

To  err  is  human ;  to  forgive,  divine. 


LESSON   XV. 

CONTRACTION    OF   W.ORDS. 

Contract  the  words  printed  in  Italics  in  the  following 
sentences : 

1.  To  chatter  about  nothing  is  always  foolish.  2.  Wash- 
ington acted  with  judgment  when  he  made  a  friend  of  Lafay- 
ette. 3.  The  people  put  trust  in  him.  4.  I  can  with 
considerable  ease  understand  the  time  tables.  5.  I  made  him 
a  present  of  the  volume.  6.  Henry  runs  with  speed.  7.  He 
talks  with  discretion.     8.  They  proceeded  with  difficulty. 

EXAMPLE. 

He  fought  with  bravery. 

He  fought  bravely. 


32  THE   ELEMENTS   OF   GRAMMAR. 

LESSON    XVI. 

TO    FILL    UP   ELLIPSES. 

Write  at  full  length  the  following  fable,  filling  up  the 
Ellipses  : 

The  dog  in  the  manger. 

A  . . .  dog,  having  . . .  his  ...  on  some  hay  in  a  manger,  an 
ox,  pressed  by  ...,  came  up,  and  ...  to  satisfy  his  ...  with  a 
little  of  the  ...,  but  the  dog  ...,  and  putting  ...  into  a  ... 
posture,  prevented  his  ...  it,  or  even  ...  the  spot  where 
he  lay. 

"Envious  ...,"  exclaimed  the  ox,  "how  ...  is  your  be- 
havior! You  cannot  ...  the  ...  yourself,  and  yet  you  will 
not  ...  me,  to  whom  it  is  so  ...,  to  ...  it." 

The  miser,  who  hoards  up  his  gold, 

Unwilling  to  ...  or  to  spend, 
Himself  in  the  ...  may  be  ..., 

The  ox  in  his  indigent  . . . 

To  hoard  up  what  we  can't  enjoy, 
Is  Heaven's  good  ...  to  des... 


LESSON    XVII. 

COMPOSING   A   FABLE. 

Write  at  full  length  the  story  of  "The  Fox  and  the 
Grapes,"  observing  these  facts  : 

a.   Thirsty  fox  sees  grapes  hanging  from  high  vine. 

5.    Leaps  up,  cannot  reach  them. 

c.    Says  he  could  if  he  liked,  but  they  're  sour. 


SIMPLE    PARAGRAPH.  33 

EXAMPLE. 
Thirsty  fox  sees  grapes  hanging  from  high  vine. 
A  fox,  parched  with  thirst,  perceived 'some  luscious  grapes 
hanging  from  a  lofty  vine,  etc. 


LESSON    XVIII. 

ON    THE   SENSES. 

Describe  a  pencil,  a  pen,  a  knife,  a  flower,  an  apple, 
a  look,  an  inkstand,  a  ruler,  a  watch,  a  stick,  a  box, 
observing  these  headings  : 


1. 

Sight. 

2. 

Hearing. 

3. 

Smell. 

4. 

Touching. 

5. 

Tasting. 

EXAMPLE. 

The  stick  of  liquorice. 

Sight.  —  My  sight  tells  me  that  it  is  about  five  inches 
long  and  three  quarters  of  an  inch  thick  ;  that  it  is  stamped 
with  the  name  of  the  preparer ;  that  it  is  nearly  round,  and 
that  it  is  apparently  smooth. 

Hearing.  —  In  this  instance  my  hearing  tells  me  nothing. 

Smell.  —  My  smelling  power  tells  me  that  it  has  a  slightly 
fragrant  perfume. 

Touching.  —  My,  feeling  power  tells  me  that  it  is  hard, 
brittle,  and  smooth. 

Taste.  —  By  tasting  it  I  learn  that  it  is  sweet. 

Thus  I  find  that  the  stick  of  liquorice  is  about  five  inches 
long  by  three  quarters  of  an  inch  thick ;  that  it  is  stamped 
with  the  name  of  the  preparer  ;  that  it  is  nearly  round  ;  and 
that  it  has  a  slightly  fragrant  perfume  and  a  sweet  taste. 


34  THE    ELEMENTS   OF   GRAMMAR. 

LESSON    XIX. 

A   FABLE. 

Write  at  full  length  the  fable  of  "  The  Dog  and  the 
Shadow,"  observing  these  facts  (as  in  Lesson  XVII.)  : 

a.  A  dog  is  crossing  a  river  on  a  plank. 

b.  Has  a  piece  of  flesh  in  his  mouth. 

c.  Sees  his  shadow. 

d.  Thinks  it  is  another  dog  with  another  piece  of  meat. 

e.  Drops  his  own  and  plunges  into  the  stream. 
/.   His  chagrin. 

g.   Moral. 


LESSON    XX. 

A   NARRATIVE. 

Write  a  story,  embodying  the  following  hints  : 

The  Honest  Boy. 

Walter  Waifandstray ;  poor  boy  ;  swept  crossing ;  very 
cold  and  hungry  ;  wet  day  ;  picked  up  purse ;  full  of  money  ; 
began  to  think  whose  it  could  be  ;  at  last  remembered 
kind  old  lady ;  found  her  address  ;  went  to  the  house ; 
knocked  at  the  door ;  pompous  man-servant ;  lady  sent  for 
him  up  stairs ;  was  amazed  at  the  beautiful  furniture  ; 
washed  ;  new  clothes  ;  went  into  her  service  ;  became  a  rich 
man  ;  honesty  the  best  policy. 


SIMPLE   PARAGRAPH.  35 

LESSON    XXI. 

SIMPLE    HISTORICAL   BIOGRAPHY. 

Give  a  brief  sketch  of  trie  lives  of  George  Washington, 
James  Madison,  John  Quincy  Adams,  Martin  Yan  Buren, 
James  Monroe,  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  Ulysses  S.  Grant, 
observing  these  headings  : 

1.  Relate  an  incident  you  may  have  heard  of  his  boyhood. 

2.  What  age  was  he  when  he  was  elected  President  1 

3.  What  was  his  personal  character. 

4..  What  wars  was  he  engaged  in,  if  any  ? 
5.   What  was  his  fate  ? 


George  Washington. 

1.  At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  wrote  out,  for  his  own  use, 
one  hundred  and  ten  maxims  of  civility  and  good  behavior. 

2.  He  was  fifty-five  years  old  when  elected  President. 

3.  "He  was  first  in  peace,  first  in  war,  and  first  in  the 
hearts  of  his  countrymen  "  ;  amiable,  brave,  and  faithful. 

4.  The  great  war  with  Britain  that  led  to  the  Declaration 
of  Independence. 

5.  He  was  exposed  in  the  saddle  for  several  hours  to  cold 
and  snow,  and  attacked  with  acute  pains  which  led  to  his 
death. 


LESSON    XXII. 

FABLE. 

Eelate  at  full  length  the  fable  of  "  The  Wolf  and  the 
Lamb,"  observing  the  following  facts  (as  in  Lessons 
XVII.  and  XIX.)  : 


36  THE    ELEMENTS    OF   GRAMMAR. 

1 .  A  wolf  and  a  lamb  come  to  a  stream  to  quench  their  thirst. 

2.  The  water  flows  from  the  wolf  to  the  lamb. 

3.  The  wolf  accuses  the  lamb  of  disturbing  the  water  he 
is  drinking. 

4.  The  lamb  says,  "  I  cannot  do  so,  for  the  stream  flows 
from  you  to  me." 

5.  The  wolf  says,  "  Your  father  set  the  hounds  upon  my 
track  yesterday."     "  He  died  a  month  ago,"  says  the  lamb. 

6.  "  Your  dam,  then  ! "  says  the  wolf.     "  She  died  the  day 
I  was  born,"  replied  the  lamb. 

*7.    "  You  all  of  you  hate  me,"  cries  the  wolf,  and  worries 
the  lamb. 

8.    Unjust  strength  overpowers  feeble  innocence. 


LESSON    XXIII. 

CONTRACTION    OF   SENTENCES. 

Contract  the  following  sentences  : 

1.  Caesar  was  an  illustrious  man,  and  Napoleon  was  an 
illustrious  man  too.  2.  War  is  bloody,  war  is  unchristian- 
like,  war  is  devastating.  3.  Death  does  not  spare  the  rich, 
neither  does  death  spare  the  poor.  4.  I  rode  in  the  omnibus, 
although  the  omnibus  was  full.  5.  "Wellington  was  brave, 
Wellington  was  just,  Wellington  was  energetic,  and  Well- 
ington was  one  of  the  most  famous  generals  the  world  has 
ever  produced.  6.  That  dog  is  the  most  stupid,  the  most 
vicious,  and  the  most  disobedient  dog  I  ever  saw.  7.  She  is 
very  nighty,  she  is  very  silly,  and  she  is  very  unhappy. 

EXAMPLE. 
Ivory  is  hard,  ivory  is  white,  and  ivory  is  obtained  from  elephants'  tusks. 

Ivory  is  hard  and  white,  and  is  obtained  from  elephants5 
tusks. 


SIMPLE   PAKAGRAPH.  37 


LESSON    XXIV. 

TRANSPOSITION. 

Transposition  signifies  the  changing  of  the  order  of  the 
parts  of  a  sentence  without  altering  its  sense ;  thus  : 

EXAMPLE. 
I  will  never  acknowledge  his  superiority  while  I  breathe. 

1.  While  I  breathe  I  will  never  acknowledge  his  superi- 
ority. 

2.  His    superiority   while    I    breathe    I    will   never    ac- 
knowledge. 

3.  I  will  never  while  I  breathe  acknowledge  his  superi- 
ority. 

Exercise.  —  Transpose  : 

1.  About  this  time  she  had  the  honor  to  introduce 
her  son.  2.  Here,  royal  pair,  your  little  Quaker  stands. 
3.  I  beg  your  pardon  if  I  answered  you  peevishly.  4.  How 
mutable  is  the  happiness  of  thoughtless  people.  5.  See  how 
trees  now  drop  their  leafy  honors.  6.  Caesar,  when  he  had 
conquered  the  Gauls,  went  to  Britain.  7.  Shakespeare,  in 
the  reign  of  Elizabeth,  wrote  plays.  8.  Being  an  old  sports- 
man, I  mounted  my  horse  and  rode  after  the  hounds. 
9.  Upon  reading  the  works  of  Milton  I  could  better  appre- 
ciate poetry.  10.  On  the  rising  of  the  sun  they  manned  the 
boats  and  put  out  to  sea.  11.  The  cat,  after  watching  an 
.  hour  at  the  hole,  caught  the  mouse.  "  The  ploughman 
homeward  plods  his  weary  way."  * 

*  This  line  from  Gray's  "Elegy"  admits  of  eleven  transpositions  without 
affecting  the  rhyme  or  metre. 


38  THE   ELEMENTS   OF   GRAMMAR. 

LESSON  XXV. 

TRANSLATION  OF  POETRY  INTO  PROSE. 

Translate  the  following  poem  of  Wordsworth  into 

prose. 

LUCY  GRAY. 

No  mate,  no  comrade,  Lucy  knew  ; 

She  dwelt  on  a  wild  moor  ; 
The  sweetest  thing  that  ever  grew 

Beside  a  cottage  door ! 

You  yet  may  spy  the  fawn  at  play, 

The  hare  upon  the  green  ; 
But  the  sweet  face  of  Lucy  Gray 

Will  never  more  be  seen. 

"  To-night  will  be  a  stormy  night, 

You  to  the  town  must  go  ; 
And  take  a  lantern,  child,  to  light 

Your  mother  through  the  snow." 

"  That,  father,  I  will  gladly  do  ; 

JT  is  scarcely  afternoon  ; 
The  minster  clock  has  just  struck  two, 

And  yonder  is  the  moon." 

At  this  the  father  raised  his  hook, 

And  snapped  a  fagot  band  ; 
He  plied  his  work,  and  Lucy  took 

The  lantern  in  her  hand. 

Not  blither  is  the  mountain  roe  ; 
With  many  a  wanton  stroke 


SIMPLE   PARAGRAPH.  39 

Her  feet  disperse  the  powdery  snow 
That  rises  up  like  smoke. 

The  storm  came  on  before  its  time  ; 

She  wandered  up  and  down, 
And  many  a  hill  did  Lucy  climb, 

But  never  reached  the  town. 

The  wretched  parents  all  that  night 

Went  shouting  far  and  wide  ; 
But  there  was  neither  sound  nor  sight 

To  serve  them  for  a  guide. 

At  daybreak  on  a  hill  they  stood, 

That  overlooked  the  moor  ; 
And  thence  they  saw  the  bridge  of  wood 

A  furlong  from  the  door. 

They  wept,  and  turning  homeward,  cried, 

"  In  heaven  we  all  shall  meet." 
When  in  the  snow  the  mother  spied 

The  print  of  Lucy's  feet ! 

Half  breathless,  from  the  steep  hill's  edge 

They  tracked  the  footmarks  small ; 
And  through  the  broken  hawthorn  hedge, 

And  by  the  long  stone  wall. 

And  then  an  open  field  they  crossed, 

The  marks  were  still  the  same  ; 
They  tracked  them  on,  nor  ever  lost, 

And  to  the  bridge  they  came. 

They  followed  from  the  snowy  bank 
Those  footmarks,  one  by  one, 


40  THE    ELEMENTS    OF    GRAMMAR. 

Into  the  middle  of  the  plank,  — 
And  further  there  were  none  ! 

Yon  yet  may  spy  the  fawn  at  play, 

The  hare  upon  the  green  ; 
But  the  sweet  face  of  Lucy  Gray 

Will  never  more  be  seen. 

EXAMPLE. 

No  mate,  no  comrade,  Lucy  knew; 

She  dwelt  on  a  wild  moor ; 
The  sweetest  thing  that  ever  grew 

Beside  a  cottage  door. 

Lucy,  who  knew  no  mate  or  comrade,  dwelt  on  a  wild 
moor,  and  was  the  sweetest  thing  that  ever  grew  beside  the 
door  of  a  cottage. 

Half  breathless,  from  the  steep  hill's  edge, 

They  tracked  the  footmarks  small ; 
And  through  the  broken  hawthorn  hedge, 

And  by  the  long  stone  wall. 

Half  breathless,  they  tracked  the  small  footmarks  from  the 
edge  of  the  steep  hill,  through  the  hawthorn  hedge  that  was 
broken,  and  by  the  long  stone  wall. 


LESSON    XXYI. 

TRANSLATION  OF  POETRY  INTO  PROSE. 

Translate  the  following  poem  into  prose  (as  in  Lesson 
XXV.) : 

THE  COMMON   LOT. 

Once  in  the  flight  of  ages  past 
There  lived  a  man,  —  and  who  was  he  ? 


SIMPLE   PARAGRAPH.  ^43 

Motal,  howe'er  thy  lot  be  cast, 
That  man  resembled  thee. 

He  suffered,  —  but  his  pangs  are  o'er  ; 

Enjoyed,  —  but  his  delights  are  fled  ; 
Had  friends,  —  his  friends  are  now  no  more  : 

And  foes,  —  his  foes  are  dead. 

He  saw  whatever  thou  hast  seen, 

Encountered  all  that  troubles  thee  ; 
He  was  —  whatever  thou  hast  been  ; 

He  is  —  what  thou  shalt  be. 

The  annals  of  the  human  race, 

Their  records,  since  the  world  began, 
Of  him  afford  no  other  trace 

Than  this,  —  there  lived  a  man  ! 


LESSON    XXVII. 

SIMPLE   NARRATIVE. 

Write  a  story,  embodying  the  following  hints  : 

The  Miser. 

1.  A  rich  miser  lived  in  France  ;  ordered  by  government 
to  contribute  large  sum  of  money ;  pleaded  poverty ;  damp 
cellar ;  dug  deep  hole ;  made  spring-lock  door ;  hid  his 
treasures. 

2.  Claim  of  poverty  allowed  ;  the  miser  congratulates 
himself ;  nephew,  poor  man  with  large  family  ;  comes  to 
beg  ;  refused,  scoffed,  and  turned  from  the  door. 

3.  Miser  missed  ;  neighbors  search  everywhere  ;  at  last 
they  discover  the  door  in  the  floor  of  the  cellar  ;  miser  found 


42  THE   ELEMENTS   OF   GRAMMAR. 

dead  ;  candlestick  ;  no  candle  ;  had  eaten  it  in  the  agony  of 
hunger. 

4.  Poor  relative  becomes  heir  ;  spends  the  money  judicious- 
ly ;  relieves  the  poor ;  gives  to  charitable  institutions  ;  is  a 
good  friend  and  worthy  neighbor  ;  respected  and  loved  by  all. 

5.  Moral. 


LESSON    XXVIII. 

GRAMMATICAL   EXERCISE. 

Compose  sentences  in  which  there  shall  be 

1.  A  proper  noun  and  a  common  noun. 

2.  An  abstract  noun  and  a  diminutive  noun. 

3.  A  numeral  adjective  and  a  pronominal  adjective. 

4.  The  three  different  degrees  of  comparison. 

5.  A  demonstrative,  a  relative,  and  an  interrogative  pro- 
noun. 

6.  An  active  transitive  verb,  a  verb  in  the  future  perfect, 
and  an  impersonal  verb. 

7.  An  adverb,  a  preposition,  a  conjunction,  and  an  inter- 
jection. 

LESSON  XXIX. 

THE   SENSES   AND   EXPERIMENTS. 

Eule.  —  Place  a  piece  of  glass  before  you.  Try  it  by 
your  senses,  as  in  Lesson  XVIII.  J  then  make  experi- 
ments on  it,  and  write  the  results. 

example. 
A  piece  of  india-rubber. 
1.   Sight.     This  piece  of  india-rubber  is  three  inches  long, 
two  broad,  and  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick.     In  shape  it  is  a 


SIMPLE   PARAGRAPH.  43 

solid  oblong.     Its  color  is  nearly  black,  but  in  parts  some- 
what brown. 

2.  Smell.     Its  smell  is  strong  and  rather  disagreeable. 

3.  Taste.     It  has  no  peculiar  taste. 

4.  Touch.     It  is  soft  to  the  touch. 

5.  Experiments,     a.  If  I  pull  it,  it  stretches,  and  when  I 
let  go  it  returns  to  its  former  shape.     Therefore  it  is  elastic. 

b.  If  I  touch  the  hot  stove  with  it,  it  melts  and  burns,  and 
emits  a  quantity  of  black  smoke.    Therefore  it  is  inflammable. 

c.  If  I  put  it  in  water  it   floats.      Therefore  it  has  less 
specific  gravity  than  water. 

d.  If  I  put  it  in  water  it  does  not  diminish  in  bulk.    There- 
fore it  is  insoluble. 


LESSON  XXX. 

Place  a  piece  of  coal  before  you.  Try  it  by  your 
senses,  as  in  Lesson  XXIX.  ;  then  make  experiments  on 
it,  and  write  the  results. 

1.  Sight.    Size.     Shape.    Color. 

2.  Feeling.    Weight.     Heat.     Hardness. 

3.  Smell. 

4.  Taste. 

5.  Experiments.     In  water.    With  fire.    With  a  hammer. 


LESSOIST  XXXI. 

Place  a  sheet  of  paper  before  you.  Try  it  by  your 
senses,  as  in  Lesson  XXX.  ;  then  make  experiments  on 
it,  and  write  the  results. 

1.  Sight.     Size.     Shape.     Color. 

2.  Feeling.    Weight.     Heat.     Hardness. 


44  THE    ELEMENTS    OF   GRAMMAR. 

3.  Smell. 

4.  Taste. 

5.  Experiments.    With  water,  fire,  ink,  paint,  pencil,  wood. 


LESSON  XXXII. 

Place  a  piece  of  iron-wire  before  you.  Try  it  by  your 
senses,  as  in  Lesson  XXXI.  ;  then  make  experiments  on 
it,  and  write  the  results. 

1.  Sight.     Size.     Shape.     Color. 

2.  Feeling.     Weight.     Heat.     Hardness. 

3.  Smell. 

4.  Taste. 

5.  Experiments.  Sustain  a  great  weight.  Put  it  in  water. 
Put  it  in  the  fire.     Wet  it  and  leave  it  in  the  open  air. 


LESSON  XXXIII. 

THE   SOURCES    OF    THINGS. 

Eule.  —  Place  a  nail  before  you.  Trace  its  history, 
as  in  the  following  example. 

EXAMPLE. 
A  piece  of  lead. 

1.  What  it  is.     It  is  a  metal. 

2.  Where  it  came  from.  I  procured  it  from  the  plumber. 
He  bought  it  from  the  owner  of  the  lead-works,  who  obtained 
it  by  melting  ore  which  he  got  from  the  miners,  who  dug  it 
out  of  the  earth. 

3.  The  result  of  experiments.  When  newly  cut  it  is  very 
bright.  I  can  hammer  it  into  thin  plates.  I  can  easily 
melt  it. 


SIMPLE   PARAGRAPH.  45 

LESSON  XXXIV. 

Place  a  piece  of  bread  before  you.  Trace  its  history, 
as  in  Lesson  XXXIII. ,  through  the  hands  of  the  baker, 
the  miller,  and  the  farmer. 


LESSON  XXXV. 

Trace  the  history  of  a  stove,  as  in  Lesson  XXXIV., 
through  the  hands  of  the  iron-monger,  the  founder,  and 
the  miners. 


LESSON  XXXVI. 

Trace  the  history  of  a  coat,  as  in  Lesson  XXXIV., 
through  the  hands  of  the  tailor,  the  cloth-merchant,  the 
manufacturer,  and  the  wool-grower. 


LESSON  XXXVII. 

Place  a  sheet  of  paper  before  you.  Trace  its  history, 
as  in  Lesson  XXXVI. ,  through  the  hands  of  the  stationer, 
the  paper-maker,  the  rag-merchant,  and  the  rag-picker. 


LESSON  XXXVIII. 

THE    USES    OF    THINGS. 

Place  a  piece  of  leather  before  you,  and  write  down  the 
purposes  for  which  it  is  generally  used. 


46  THE    ELEMENTS    OF    GRAMMAR. 

EXAMPLE. 
A  piece  of  lead. 

It  is  used  to  construct  water-pipes  and  cisterns. 
Chemists  use  it.  Mixed  with  tin,  it  is  called  pewter, 
with  which  table-spoons  are  made.  Mixed  with  anti- 
mony, it  is  manufactured  into  printer's  types. 


LESSON"  XXXIX. 

Place  a  piece  of  cloth  before  you,  and  write  the  pur- 
poses for  which  it  is  used,  as  in  Lesson  XXXVIII. 


LESSOJST  XL. 

PARTS    OP    THINGS. 

Place  a  booh  before  you.  Trace  the  history  of  its  parts 
through  the  hands  of  the  bookseller,  the  publisher,  the 
printer,  the  binder,  the  engraver,  and  the  author. 


LESSON  XLI. 

SUBSTITUTION. 

Eewrite  the  following,  putting  other  words  in  place 
of  those  printed  in  italics  : 

1.  Be  careful  to  avoid  tale-bearing,  for  that  is  a  vice  of  the 
most  pernicious  nature,  and  generally,  in  the  end,  turns  to  the 
disadvantage  of  those  who  practise  it. 

2.  Let  attachment  to  the  words  of  truth  be  ever  impressed 
upon  your  mind. 


SIMPLE   PARAGRAPH.  47 

3.  Above  all  things  observe  a  strict  attention  to  honesty. 

4.  Avoid  as  much  as  possible  entering  into  disputes, 

5.  Be  swift  to  hear,  and  slow  to  speak. 

6.  Never  remain  in  ignorance  for  want  of  ashing. . 

EXAMPLE. 

Wit  is  the  most  dangerous  talent  that  a  female  can  pos- 
sess. 

Wit  is  the  most  dangerous  capacity  that  a  woman  can  pos- 
sess.   

LESSON  XLIL 

EXERCISES    ON    THE    COMPARISON    OF    IDEAS. 

1.  If  all  things  decreased  in  proportion,  and  a  yard  measure 
were  twelve  inches  long,  how  long  would  a  foot  be  1 

2.  If  a  horse  were  two  feet  high,  how  high  would  a  cat  be  ? 

3.  If  an  acre  were  the  size  of  your  desk,  how  large  would 
be  the  area  of  }^our  school  grounds  1 

4.  If  a  cow  were  the  size  of  a  cat,  how  large  would  a  pig 
be? 

6.  If  Ypsilanti  were  ten  inches  from  Ann  Arbor  instead  of 
nine  miles,  how  far  would  Detroit  be,  which  is  thirty  miles  ] 


LETTER-WRITING. 


The  style  of  letter-writing  should  be  free,  easy,  and 
natural. 

RULES  FOR  LETTER-WRITING. 

1.  In  the  right-hand  upper  corner  of  the  page  put 
the  name  of  the  place  from  which  the  letter  is  written, 
as  Ypsilanti,  Mich. 


48  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

2.  Beneath  this,  the  date,  as  June  5,  187 4. 

3.  In  the  left-hand  upper  part  of  the  page  the  name 
of  the  correspondent,  as  John  Smith. 

4.  Beneath  this  the  first  complimentary  address,  as 
Sir  or  Madam. 

5.  Beneath  this,  commencing  in  the  middle  of  the  page, 
the  narrative  or  body  of  the  letter. 

6.  Beneath  this  the  second  complimentary  address 
and  subscription,  as 

<2? am,   (2% 

&Mau,i4  jfuctA/uuy, 

jstiuam,  QJsnttu. 

This  second  complimentary  address  must  be  varied 
according  to  the  degree  of  familiarity  between  the  cor- 
respondents, as  in  Eule  4. 

example. 

ffi.    ^Accaao  &t,   M^etioct, 
Q^ay  £,    1§74- 
flAn,   J^PabA. 

(£fa, Q%z  be/i/y  to  youb  let/el  o£  tue  3a  i?i4t, 

Gs  £ey  to  addule  you  ttiat  Qs  ddaw  ve  Aat/tiy  to 
meet  you  o?z  ffiea/ne4a/ay  next  at  Q/rcte4,  at  t£e 
ttoub  <me?itconea  vy  you. 

G/a???,,   (Mb, 

^autefatiAfuSf, 

'friM'ain,  d&?ictu. 


LETTER-WRITING.  49 

In  writing  the  name  of  the  person  addressed  (Eule  3), 
it  is  advisable  to  give  the  proper  title,  thus  : 

ty/out/zet    ^u^eaiae    ^^leen. 

Wa/tel  Me//,   &p 

<^7Con.    &)an.    ^-u.'tey. 

Never  make  the  addition  of  the  title  of  Esquire  when 
any  other  title  is  used,  as  Professor  G.  Bull,  Esq. 

FIRST  COMPLIMENTARY  ADDRESS   (Rule  4). 

If  the  person  addressed  is  a  stranger,  we  should  say 
Sir  or  Madam. 

If  slightly  known  to  the  writer,  Dear  Sir  or  Dear 
Madam. 

If  familiarly  acquainted  with  the  writer,  My  dear  Sir 
or  My  dear  Madam  ;  and  if  a  personal  friend,  My  dear 
Mr.  So-and-so  or  My  dear  Mrs.  So-and-so. 

If  two  or  more  gentlemen  of  the  same  name  or  firm 
are  addressed,  we  may  say  Sirs  or  Gentlemen ;  if  two 
ladies,  Mesdames,  or  Ladies. 

A  more  formal  way  of  writing  a  letter  is  to  use  the 
third  person,  as  : 

©^&*.    ^u^ieen  faedenfo  nek  covnfeumenfo  fo  (~^fob. 
fftazceid,  and  vead  ncm,  a£  ncd  eaiueJ-t  convenience, 
-fa  favoi,  nek  tuttd  ntd   Q^nnaaz  Jxiefeokf. 
'zn.  £,   '74- 


lomeo, 


50  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

EXAMPLE. 
LETTER  FROM   A   PUPIL    TO   HER  TEACHER. 

(Mn*oo/ &&ude,   Mo, 

fane  /,   1874. 

SL  Mofeddol   JE   M   <Moioe. 

Qfcy  aeal  GlscI, fyfou  nave  adnea    ?ne   Jo  ac- 

dclcoe  dome   cj?  Jne  evenJd   J/iaJ  nave    naJi/ie?iea    in 

oul   dcnoot    auli??a    Jne  7ia^  toeefct        (zfrildJ,    Jnen, 

teJ   me    Jew    you    JnaJ  on     Qs77o?iaau    tadJ    Q/oidd 

^Zsetuz    ^fleaJolex  came  Jo  Jane  cnalae  oj-  oul  loom. 

GLsne  id  a  vely  feJead&nt  Jaaw,  ana  nod  a&eaay  toon, 

nek   toay   cnJo   oak   JiealJd.  ^c^ou    nave   neala,   Qs 

du/^/^ode,  noto   dicn  fa0*'    QsJetJa    J&lozon  id.  f/e 

midd  nek  vely  mucn.        Csul    nezv    Jeacnel    nad  nana 

dome  feicJuled  on  Jne  zoatte  o£  oul  loom,  ana  toe  ale 

mucn    A^adzd  toiJn  Jnem.        Qsnele    id    one    cauea 

"Qsne  (SfiibdJ  <^£eddon,"  zonicn  Qs    Jninn.    vely  cute. 

Q/J  lefeledenJd  a  JtJJie  oou  Jeacnina  a  feuJi  Jo  dJa?ia 

on    iJd    ncna    /eeJ,  a?za    Jne   7lo°^    cleaJule   toond   do 

comical.       (2/o'me  veauJi/uz J1^71^-  n&ve  free??,  fi&zcea 

in   dt/felenJ   JialJd    0/  Jne   loom,    a??^  add  condia- 

eladiy    Jo    iJd    cneel/u/nedd.  7/e    ale    fi^aleddina 

nicety  toiJn    oul    dJadied ;    Tol   Gl/foidd    ^TJleaJolex  in- 


LETTER-WRITING.  .  51 

tele&fo  a£  do  mucn>   witfc    del  maiznek  oj?  co?zauctt?ta 
oui>  ieccfa-tcond. 


cna  't/iat  you  zoct€  excude  <mobe  -fbom  ?ne  now, 
(2s   be?na>cn,  aeczi,  Qseezc/iei,, 

wl  dutiful  feu/it/, 

Q4i&*    Jf/ute. 
THE  DIRECTION. 

Having  written  your  letter,  fold  it  neatly,  and  put  it 
in  an  envelope.     Then  direct  it  as  follows,  placing,  — 

1.  The  name  and  title  of  the  person  addressed. 

2.  The  place  of  his  residence. 

3.  The  name  of  the  State  in  which  that  place  is  located. 

EXAMPLE. 


j2/tomeo, 


If  the  letter  has  to  be  mailed,  place  the  stamp  in  the 
right-hand  upper  corner.  If  it  is  intended  as  a  letter  of 
introduction,  write  on  the  left-hand  lower  corner  the  fact, 
thus,  Introducing  Captain  C.  Grant.  If  it  is  carried  to 
the  correspondent  by  a  third  person,  write  on  the  left- 


52  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

hand  lower  corner  the  name  of  the  bearer,  thus,  By  favor 
of  Miss  Green. 


LESSON  XLIII. 


Write  a  letter  to  your  teacher,  relating  the  events  that 
have  occurred  in  your  school  during  the  past  three  days. 


LESSON  XLIV. 

Write  a  letter  to  a  friend,  giving  an  account  of  one  of 
your  games. 


LESSON  XLV. 

Write  a  letter  to  your  parent  or  guardian,  giving  a 
brief  sketch  of  your  daily  studies. 


LESSON  XL VI. 

Write  a  letter  to  a  friend,  inviting  him  to  take  part  in 
a  game  at  croquet. 

LESSON  XLVII. 

Write  a  letter  in  the  third  person  to  Mrs.  G.  Brown, 
inviting  her  to  dinner. 


LESSON  XLVin. 

Write  a  letter  to  a  school- fellow,  introducing  one  of 
your  playmates. 


ANALYSIS   OF   SENTENCES.  53 


GEAMMATICAL   ANALYSIS  OF   SENTENCES. 


THE    SIMPLE    SENTENCE. 

Grammatical  Analysis  is  the  art  of  separating  a 
sentence  into  the  various  component  parts  which  enter 
into  its  formation. 

Every  sentence  must  of  necessity  have  at  least  a  Sub- 
ject and  a  Predicate.  In  a  sentence,  the  Subject  is 
what  we  speak  about ;  the  Predicate  is  what  we  say 
about  it.  Thus,  in  the  sentence  "  John  rises  "  we  have 
John  as  the  Subject,  or  what  is  spoken  about ;  and  rises 
as  the  predicate,  or  what  is  said  about  him.  "John 
rises "  is  a  complete  sentence,  although  a  bare  and  pri- 
mary one  ;  for  John  does  not  "  rise  "  anything,  "  rise  * 
being  an  intransitive  verb.  When,  however,  we  use  a 
transitive  verb,  the  sentence  is  materially  changed  in 
character.  Eor  instance,  when  we  change  the  sentence 
to  "  John  strikes,"  we  have  not  a  complete  sentence ;  for 
"strikes"  being  a  transitive  verb,  the  action  "strikes" 
passes  from  the  Subject  "  John "  to  some  Object  or 
other,  the  Object  being  what  John  strikes.  "When, 
therefore,  we  say  "  John  strikes  the  table,"  we  have  a 
complete  sentence,  of  which 

John  is  the  Subject, 
Strikes     "    Predicate. 
The  table"    Object. 


54 


THE   ELEMENTS    OF    GRAMMAR. 


Thus  it  is  apparent  that  the  bare,  rudimentary  essentials 
of  a  sentence  are  in  the  case  of 


An  Intransitive  verb  : 
A  Transitive  verb  : 


Subject  and  Predicate, 
Subject,  Predicate,  and  Object. 


A  sentence  with  only  one  finite  verb,  that  is,  a  verb  not 
in  the  Infinitive  Mood,  is  called  a  Simple  Sentence; 
which,  although  it  may  consist  of  only  three  absolutely 
essential  words,  as 


John, 

Strikes, 

Iron, 


Subject, 

Predicate, 

Object, 


may  nevertheless  contain  a  great  many  more  illustrative 
words  to  modify  or  intensify  the  bare  and  primary 
meaning  of  the  sentence. 

The  subjoined  is  an  example  of  how  a  sentence  may 
be  thus  extended : 


Subject 

Predicate. 

Object. 

John 

strikes 

iron. 

Old  John 

strikes  heavily 

hot  iron. 

Old  John, 

strikes  heavily 

hot  and  glowing 

the  smith, 

and  laboriously 

iron. 

Old  John, 

strikes  from  day  to 

hot  and  glowing 

the  village 

day,  heavily  and 

Swedish  iron. 

smith, 

laboriously, 

Those  words  in  a  sentence  which  are  neither  Subject, 
Predicate,  nor  Object  are  called  Extensions  of  the  three 
absolutely  essential  parts  of  the  sentence  to  which  they 
may  respectively  belong.     Thus,  in  the  above  example, 


ANALYSIS   OF   SENTENCES.  55 

Old,  the  village  smith  :  Extension  of  Subject, 

From  day  to  day,  heavily  and  laboriously  :    "         "  Predicate, 
Hot  and  glowing  Swedish :  a        "  Object. 

Exercise.  — Tell  the  Subject,  Predicate,  and  Object  in 
the  following  sentences  : 

1.  God  created  the  world  in  six  days. 

2.  Shakespeare  wrote  "  Macbeth,"  a  drama  of  superlative 
excellence. 

3.  Charles  Dickens,  the  distinguished  novelist,  died  in 
1870. 

4.  Alfred  the  Great  rose  early  in  the  morning. 

5.  The  Crystal  Palace  is  quite  stupendous  in  dimensions. 

6.  The  history  of  our  native  country  is  most  decidedly  a 
useful  and  highly  interesting  study. 

Exercise.  —  Tell  the  Extensions  of  the  Subject,  the 
Extensions  of  the  Predicate,  and  the  Extensions  of  the 
Object  in  the  following  sentences  : 

1.  Music  soothes  the  savage  breast. 

2.  Byron,  the  distinguished  poet,  died  in  Greece. 

3.  My  little  doves  have  left  a  nest  upon  an  Indian  tree. 

4.  The  "Excelsior"  is  a  well-known  set  of  educational 
books. 

5.  London,  the  capital  of  the  British  Empire,  is  built  upon 
the  river  Thames. 

6.  I  would  indeed  give  you  that  admirable  book,  but 
I  have  unfortunately  lost  it. 


56  THE   ELEMENTS   OF   GRAMMAR. 


THE  COMPLEX  SENTENCE. 

When  any  of  the  Extensions  of  a  Simple  Sentence  are 
developed  into  a  clause,  the  sentence  is  said  to  be  Com- 
plex. Thus,  "Napoleon  III.,  to  gratify  his  ambition, 
declared  war  against  Prussia,"  is  a  Simple  Sentence,  the 
words  in  Italics  being  simply  an  extension  of  the  Predi- 
cate "declared."  But,  "Napoleon  III.,  having  resolved 
to  gratify  his  ambition,  declared  war  against  Prussia,"  is 
a  Complex  Sentence,  the  Extension  of  the  Predicate,  to 
gratify  his  ambition,  having  been  developed  into  a  clause, 
having  resolved  to  gratify  his  ambition.  Hence,  a  Com- 
plex Sentence  may  be  defined  as  a  Principal  Sentence, 
extended  by  one  or  more  clauses  or  Subordinate  Sen- 
tences. The  Subordinate  Sentences  of  the  Complex  are 
of  three  kinds : 

Noun  Sentence, 

Adjective  Sentence, 

Adverbial  Sentence. 

I.    Noun  Clause  or  Sentence. 
Thus: 

1.  Punctuality  is  commendable  :  Noun. 

2.  To  be  punctual  is  commendable  :  Noun  phrase. 

3.  That  a  man  should  be  'punctual  is  commend- 

able :  *       Noun  clause. 

Exercise.  —  Expand  the  following  nouns  into  noun 
phrases  and  noun  clauses  : 

Virtue,  wisdom,  honor,  constancy,  valor,  chastity,  silliness, 
insanity,  pride,  revenge,  sloth. 


ANALYSIS   OF   SENTENCES.  57 

II.    Adjective  Clause  or  Sentence. 

1.  A  simple  life  is  a  happy  one  :  Adjective. 

2.  A  life  of  simplicity  is  a  happy  one  :  Adjective  phrase. 

3.  A  life  which  is  simple  is  a  happy  one  :      Adjective  clause. 

Exercise. — Expand  the  following  adjectives  into  ad- 
jective phrases  and  adjective  clauses  : 

Wise,  honorable,  excellent,  depraved,  inconstant,  flowing, 
clever,  pedantic,  learned,  sweet,  extreme. 

III.    Adverbial  Clause  or  Sentence. 

1.  He  spoke  fluently:  Adverb. 

2.  He  spoke  with  fluency :  Adverbial  phrase. 

3.  He  spoke  like  one  trained  to  spealc  with 

fluency :  Adverbial  clause. 

Exercise.  —  Expand  the  following  adverbs  into  ad- 
,  verbial  phrases  and  adverbial  clauses  : 

Honorably,    lovingly,    basely,    nobly,    shabbily,   meanly, 
frankly,  learnedly,  princely,  sweetly,  constantly. 

Example  of  Complex  Sentence  :    "  The  general  then 
saw  that  the  battle  was  lost." 


Analysis  (1st  i 

a.  The  general  then  saw  :    Principal  clause. 

b.  The  battle  was  lost :       Noun  clause,  object  to  a. 

Analysis  (2d  scheme). 

a.  The  general :  Subject. 

b.  Saw  :  Predicate  to  a  (primary). 

c.  Then  :  Extension  of  Predicate  b  (time). 

d.  (The)  battle  :  Object  to  b. 

c.  Was  lost :  Predicate  to  d  (secondary). 


58  THE   ELEMENTS   OF   GRAMMAR. 

'Exercise.  —  Analyse  the  following  Complex  Sentences 
after  the  1st  scheme  : 

I  climbed  a  hill  which  was  1,500  feet  high. 

It  is  evident  that  you  did  not  attend  to  what  was  said  to 
you. 

I  found  myself  among  a  horde  of  freebooters,  Avho  would 
have  had  no  scruple  to  have  taken  my  life.  I  acknowledged 
at  once  that  I  had  been  seriously  at  fault. 

THE    COMPOUND    SENTENCE. 

The  Compound  Sentence  is  made  up  of  two  or  more 
Complex,  or  two  or  more  Simple  Sentences,  or  is  a  com- 
bination of  Simple  and  Complex  Sentences. 

The  relation  which  exists  between  these  combined  sen- 
tences is  called 

Co-ordination. 

There  are  four  kinds  of  Co-ordination  : 

1.  Copulative.  3.  Adversative. 

2.  Disjunctive.  4.  Illative. 

Example  of  Compound  Sentence  :  "  There  have  been 
men  who  have  fled  from  the  battle,  and  others  who  have 
madly  rushed  upon  certain  death." 

Exercise.  —  Analyse  the  above  and  the  following  sen- 
tences after  the  manner  of  the  2d  scheme  : 

I  struck  the  nail  obliquely  upon  the  head,  which  caused  it 
to  spring  up,  and  it  accordingly  struck  me  in  the  face. 

William  of  Normandy  landed  in  Sussex,  and  prepared  to 
do  battle  with  the  Saxons,  whom  he  knew  would  shortly 
oppose  his  invasion.  William  was  victorious,  and  Harold  fell 
mortally  wounded  upon  the  stubbornly  contested  field. 


ANALYSIS   OF   SENTENCES.  59 

1.  In  Copulative  Co-ordination,  one  independent 
statement  is  simply  annexed  to  another,  as  :  "  The  wind 
increased,  and  the  ship  went  down" 

2.  In  Disjunctive  Co-ordination,  the  various  indepen- 
dent statements  of  a  Compound  Sentence,  although 
related  by  grammatical  structure,  are  yet  disjoined  or 
distributed  in  the  meaning  of  the  context,  as  :  "  Neither 
would  he  go  himself,  nor  would  he  allow  his  brother 
to  go:' 

3.  In  Adversative  Co-ordination,  one  independent 
statement  of  the  Compound  Sentence  is  in  contrast  to 
another  in  the  meaning  of  the  context,  as  :  "  Dives  was 
very  rich,  but  Lazarus  was  exceedingly  poor." 

4.  In  Illative  Co-ordination,  the  one  statement  is  a 
logical  conclusion  drawn  from  the  one  preceding  it,  as  : 
"  He  ventured  upon  the  weakest  part  of  the  ice,  con- 
sequently he  sank  and  was  drowned" 

Exercise.  —  Analyse  according  to  the  1st,  and  then 
according  the  2d  scheme,  the  following  Compound  Sen- 
tences : 

1.  The  snow 's  dissolved  and  genial  spring  returned 
To  clothe  the  fields  with  verdure. 

2.  Then  rushed  the  steed,  to  battle  driven, 
And,  volleying  like  the  bolts  of  heaven, 

Far  flashed  the  red  artillery. 

3.  I  have  every  respect  for  knowledge  ;  but  I  pity  rather 
than  despise  the  ignorant. 

4.  Avoid  extremes,  and  shun  the  faults  of  such  who  still 
are  pleased  too  little  or  too  much. 


60  THE   ELEMENTS   OP   GRAMMAR. 

5.  0  young  Lochinvar  has  come  out  of  the  west, 
Through  all  the  wide  border  his  steed  was  the  best. 

6.  Princes  and  lords  may  flourish  or  may  fade, 

A  breath  can  make  them,  as  a  breath  has  made  ; 
But  a  bold  peasantry,  their  country's  pride, 
When  once  destroyed  can  never  be  supplied. 

7.   This  was  the  truest  warrior 
That  ever  buckled  sword ; 
This  the  most  gifted  poet 
That  ever  breathed  a  word. 

8.   Set  thou  thy  trust  upon  the  Lord, 
And  be  thou  doing  good, 
And  so  thou  in  the  land  shalt  dwell, 
And  verily  have  food. 


PART  III. 

CONSTRUCTION   OF   PARAGRAPHS. 

PARAGRAPHS. 

A  Paragraph  is  composed  of  a  series  of  sentences 
relating  to  the  same  subject. 

The  length  and  form  of  the  sentences  should  be 
varied. 

Paragraphs  may  be  said  to  belong  to  three  classes  : 

1.  Narration, 

2.  Description, 

3.  Reflection. 

I.     NARRATION. 

Paragraphs  of  Narration  may  be  divided  into  two 
classes  : 

1.  Incidental  (incidents,  stories,  fables,  letters). 

2.  Historical  (history,  biography). 

LESSON   I. 

incidental  (the  incident). 

The  pupils  are  required  to  copy  on  their  slate  the  fol- 
lowing scheme : 


62  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

1.  Time. 

2.  Person. 

3.  Place. 

4.  Event. 

5.  Manner. 

Pupils  should  read  carefully  the  relation  of  the  follow- 
ing incident,  and  fill  up  their  scheme  as  in  the  example 
below.  Having  done  this,  let  them  lay  aside  their  com- 
position-books and  write  the  paragraph  fully  from  the 
notes. 

How  David  Baird  lost  his  money. 

On  a  Saturday  evening  in  the  fall  of  the  year  1863,  David 
Baird,  a  carpenter,  came  into  the  city  of  Detroit.  He  had 
with  him  a  large  sum  of  money,  carefully  concealed  in  the 
breast-pocket  of  his  coat.  When  he  reached  his  hotel  he  was 
told  that  he  must  occupy  a  double-bedded  room,  his  com- 
panion being  a  respectable  mechanic  from  the  neighborhood. 
When  David  retired  to  rest  he  laid  his  coat  under  his  pillow, 
and,  being  very  tired,  soon  fell  into  a  deep  sleep.  In  the 
morning,  when  he  awoke,  he  found  that  the  man  who  had 
slept  in  the  room  with  him  was  gone,  and  shortly  afterwards 
he  discovered  that  his  purse  was  missing.  The  landlord  was 
called,  and  the  mechanic  fetched  and  given  into  custody  of  a 
policeman,  but  the  judge  discharged  him  for  want  of  evidence. 
David  soon  succeeded  in  getting  work,  and  became  a  pros- 
perous man.  Two  years  afterwards  he  was  about  to  give  his 
old  coat  away  to  a  poor  beggar,  when,  feeling  a  lump  in  the 
lining,  he  tore  it  open  and  discovered  his  lost  notes,  which 
had  slipped  down  through  a  hole  in  the  pocket.  David 
richly  remunerated  the  poor  man  he  had  so  unjustly  accused. 


CONSTRUCTION   OF   PARAGRAPHS.  63 

EXAMPLE. 

The  funeral  of  a  young  lady  at  Brussels. 

In  the  year  1873,  when  at  Brussels,  I  witnessed  the  funeral 
ceremony  of  a  young  lady  who  had  died  on  the  previous  day 
of  cholera.  First  came  a  priest  bearing  a  crucifix  hung  with 
black  crape.  He  was  followed  by  a  hundred  monks  chanting 
a  hymn.  Then  came  a  number  of  gayly  dressed  boys  singing 
and  swinging  censers  of  perfume.  These  were  followed  by 
a  troup  of  young  girls  bearing  wreaths  of  flowers  and  rep-* 
resenting  angels.  After  these  was  the  magnificent  hearse 
with  the  corpse,  which  was  succeeded  by  some  forty  figures 
in  white  bearing  torches  in  their  hands.  As  the  cortege 
passed,  the  people  in  the  streets  knelt  and  crossed  themselves. 

1.  Time.     In  the  year  1873. 

2.  Person.     I. 

3.  Place.     Brussels. 

4.  Event.     The  funeral  procession  of  a  young  lady. 

5.  Manner.  A  priest  carrying  a  cross.  A  hundred  monks. 
Boys  swinging  censers.  Girls  dressed  as  angels.  The  hearse. 
Forty  figures  with  torches.  The  people  knelt  and  crossed 
themselves. 


LESSON   II. 

incidental  (the  story). 

Rewrite  the  following  relation,  drawing  up  your  scheme 
as  in  Lesson  L,  and  proceeding  without  the  aid  of  your 
book  : 

Robinson  Crusoe  discovers  a  footprint. 
It  happened  one  day,  about  noon,  going  toward  my  boat, 
I  was  exceedingly  surprised  with  the  print  of  a  man's  naked 


64  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

foot  on  the  shore,  which  was  very  plain  to  be  seen  in  the 
sand.  I  stood  like  one  thunder-struck,  or  as  if  I  had  seen  an 
apparition  :  I  listened,  I  looked  round  me  :  I  could  hear 
nothing,  nor  see  anything  :  I  went  up  to  a  rising  ground  to 
look  farther  ;  but  it  was  all  one.  I  could  see  no  other  impres- 
sion but  that  one.  When  I  came  to  my  castle,  I  fled  like  one 
pursued.  Whether  I  went  over  by  the  ladder,  at  first  con- 
trived, or  went  in  at  the  hole  in  the  rock  which  I  called 
a  door,  I  cannot  remember  ;  for  never  frightened  hare  fled  to 
^cover,  or  fox  to  earth,  with  more  terror  of  mind  than  I  to  this 
retreat. — De  Foe. 


LESSON   III. 

incidental  (the  fable). 

Rewrite  the  following  fable,  drawing  up  your  scheme 
as  in  Lesson  I.,  and  proceeding  without  the  aid  of  your 
book : 

The  Island  of  Utopia. 

It  was  summer  time.  We  found  it  in  the  midst  of  the  sea, 
of  a  crescent  shape,  like  the  new  moon,  but  more  curved,  the 
two  extremities  coming  nearer  together.  Hence  the  concave 
part  forms  an  admirable  harbor  for  ships,  but  the  entrance  is 
so  full  of  rocks  that  no  one  but  a  Utopian  could  steer  a  vessel 
safely  into  the  harbor.  They  are,  therefore,  secure  from  the 
attacks  of  an  enemy.  There  are  fifty-four  cities  in  the  island, 
about  the  same  distance  apart.  They  are  surrounded  by  high 
walls  ;  the  streets  are  twenty  feet  wide.  All  the  houses  have 
large  gardens  in  the  rear,  "  Whoso  will,  may  go  in,"  for  there 
is  nothing  within  the  houses  that  is  private,  or  any  man's  own. 
And  every  tenth  year  they  change  houses  by  lot. 


CONSTRUCTION    OF   PARAGRAPHS.  65 

LESSON   IV. 

incidental  (the  letter). 

Eewrite  the  following  paragraph  from  a  letter,  drawing 
up  your  scheme  as  in  Lesson  L,  and  proceeding  without 
the  aid  of  your  book  : 

I  regret  to  inform  you  that  on  "Wednesday  afternoon  last 
little  Robert  was  nearly  killed  by  a  runaway  horse.  The 
poor  boy  was  playing  in  the  road,  when  a  horse  drawing  a 
buggy  dashed  round  the  corner ;  and  before  my  son  could 
reach  the  opposite  sidewalk  he  was  knocked  down  and  the 
wheel  passed  over  his  body.  You  may  imagine  that  we  were 
all  dreadfully  frightened  when  he  was  carried  into  the  house ; 
but  I  am  glad  to  say  that  he  was  not,  after  all,  very  badly 
hurt.  It  will  be  a  warning  to  him,  I  hope ;  and  the  accident 
may  be  "  a  blessing  in  disguise." 


LESSON   V. 

historical  (history). 

Eewrite  the  following  historical  relation,  drawing  up 
your  scheme  as  in  Lesson  I.,  and  proceeding  without  the 
aid  of  your  book  : 

Humanity  of  Sir  Robert  Bruce. 
One  morning  the  English  were  pressing  hard  upon  Sir 
Eobert  Bruce,  who  had  given  orders  for  a  hasty  retreat :  for  to 
have  risked  a  battle  with  a  more  numerous  army  would  have 
been  imprudent.  On  a  sudden,  he  heard  a  woman  shriek 
in  despair.  "  What  is  the  matter  ? "  said  the  king  ;  and  he 
was  informed  by  his  attendants  that  a  poor  woman,  mother 
of  a  new-born  infant,  was  about  to  be  left  behind.   Sir  Eobert 


66  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

was  silent  for  a  moment  when  lie  heard  this  story,  being 
divided  between  feelings  of  humanity  occasioned  by  the  poor 
woman's  distress,  and  the  danger  to  which  a  halt  would  ex- 
pose his  army.  "Let  it  never  be  said,"  he  cried,  "that  a 
man  that  was  born  of  a  woman,  and  nursed  by  a  woman's 
tenderness,  should  leave  a  mother  and  her  infant  to  the  mercy 
of  barbarians.  In  the  name  of  God,  let  the  risk  be  what  it 
may,  I  will  fight  Edmund  Butler  rather  than  leave  these 
poor  creatures  behind  me.  Let  the  army,  therefore,  draw  up 
in  line  of  battle  instead  of  retreating."  The  story  had  a 
singular  conclusion  ;  for  the  English  general,  seeing  the  stand 
made  by  Wallace,  thought  that  he  had  received  reinforce- 
ments, and  was  afraid  to  attack  him. 


LESSON  VI. 

historical  (biography). 

Bewrite  the  following  paragraph  from  a  biography, 
drawing  up  your  scheme  as  in  Lesson  I.,  and  proceeding 
without  the  aid  of  your  book  : 

The  Arrest  of  Lafayette. 
He  was  seized  in  the  night  by  an  Austrian  patrol,  and  was 
treated  as  a  criminal  and  exposed  to  disgraceful  indignities. 
They  consigned  him  to  the  damp  and  dark  dungeons  in  the 
citadel  of  Olmutz.  Here  he  was  told  that  he  would  never  re- 
ceive news  of  events  or  of  persons  ;  that  his  name  would  be 
unknown  in  the  citadel,  and  that  in  all  accounts  of  him  sent 
to  court  he  would  be  designated  by  a  number.  The  want  of 
air  and  proper  food,  and  the  dampness  and  filth  of  his  dun- 
geon, brought  on  dangerous  diseases,  of  which  his  jailers  took 
no  notice  ;  and  he  was  at  last  reduced  to  such  a  state  by  his 
sufferings  that  all  his  hair  came  off. 


CONSTRUCTION   OF   PARAGRAPHS.  67 


LESSON   VII. 

INCIDENTAL  AND   HISTORICAL. 

Prepare  your  scheme  : 

1.  Time, 

2.  Person, 

3.  Place, 

4.  Event, 

5.  Manner, 

and  proceed  to  relate  the  incidents  connected  with  "  The 
Battle  of  Brandy  wine." 

EXAMPLE. 
The  Return  of  Columbus. 

1.  Time.    About  the  middle  of  April. 

2.  Person.    Columbus. 

3.  Place.    Barcelona. 

4.  Event.    Christopher  Columbus  returns  to  Spain. 

5.  Manner.  Pirst  were  paraded  Indians  decorated  with 
tropical  feathers.  Various  kinds  of  live  parrots,  animals  of 
unknown  species,  and  rare  plants.  After  these  came  Colum- 
bus on  horseback.     Streets  were  impassable. 

It  was  about  the  middle  of  April  that  Columbus  arrived  at 
Barcelona,  where  every  preparation  had  been  made  to  give 
him  a  solemn  and  magnificent  reception.  The  beauty  and 
serenity  of  the  weather  in  that  genial  season  contributed  to 
^ive  splendor  to  this  memorable  ceremony.  As  he  drew  near 
he  place,  many  of  the  more  youthful  courtiers  came  forth  to 
greet  him.  First  were  paraded  the  Indians,  painted  accord- 
ing to  their  savage  fashion,  and  decorated  with  tropical 
feathers  ;  after  these  were  borne  various  kinds  of  live  par- 
rots, together  with  stuffed  birds  and  animals  of  unknown 
species,  and  rare  plants,  supposed  to  be  of  precious  qualities  ; 


68  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

while  great  care  was  taken  to  make  a  conspicuous  display  of 
Indian  bracelets.  After  these  followed  Columbus  on  horse- 
back, surrounded  by  a  brilliant  cavalcade  of  Spanish  chivalry. 
—  Irving. 

LESSON   VIII. 

Prepare  your  scheme  as  in  Lesson  VII. ,  and  proceed 
to  relate  the  incidents  connected  with  the  fables  of  "  The 
Frogs  desiring  a  King,"  "  The  Ass  in  the  Lion's  Skin," 
and  "  The  Stag  admiring  his  Horns." 


LESSON   IX. 

Prepare  your  scheme  as  in  Lesson  VII.,  and  proceed  to 
relate  the  story  of  "  The  Offering  of  Isaac." 


LESSON   X. 

Prepare  your  scheme  as  in  Lesson  VII.,  and  proceed  to 
relate  the  incidents  of  "A  Snow  Storm"  and  "A  Picnic 
Party." 


LESSON  XI. 

Take  the  following  for  your  prepared  scheme,  and  write 
fully  a  paragraph  on  "  A  Game  at  Croquet." 

1.  Time.     Last  summer. 

2.  Person.     Miss  A.,  Miss  B.,  Mr.  D.,  and  myself. 

3.  Place.     Saratoga. 

4.  Event.    A  game  at  croquet. 


CONSTRUCTION    OF   PARAGRAPHS.  69 

5..  Manner.  Miss  A.  and  Mr.  D.  opposed  Miss  B.  and 
myself.  Played  five  games.  We  won  the  first,  fourth,  and 
fifth.  Mr.  B.  did  not  play  fairly.  I  broke  a  mallet.  Ground 
level.     Much  enjoyment. 


LESSON   XII. 

Take  the  following  for  your  prepared  scheme,  and  write 
fully  a  paragraph  on  "  William  Tell." 

1.  Time.     More  than  500  years  ago. 

2.  Person.    William  Tell. 

3.  Place.     Switzerland. 

4.  Event.  William  Tell  shoots  the  apple  on  his  son's 
head. 

5.  Manner.  Gesler,  the  cruel  Austrian  tyrant.  Tell  com- 
manded to  shoot  at  an  apple  placed  on  his  son's  head.  Tell 
shot  off  the  apple.  Had  another  arrow  left.  Said  he  meant 
to  kill  Gesler  with  it  if  his  son  were  injured.  Tell  bound. 
Escaped  to  the  mountains.    Afterwards  killed  Gesler. 


II.     DESCRIPTION. 

Descriptive  Paragraphs  may  be  divided  into  three 
classes : 

1.  Individual  Objects. 

2.  Class  Objects. 

3.  Moral  Qualities. 


I 


70  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

1.    Individual  Objects. 
LESSON    XIII. 

Copy  upon  your  slates  this  scheme : 

1.  Species. 

2.  Properties.* 

3.  Parts. 

Eead  carefully  the  following  description  of  "The 
Chateau  of  Fontainebleau."  Having  done  this,  fill  up 
your  scheme;  then  lay  aside  your  book  and  write  the 
paragraph  from  your  notes : 

The  Chateau  of  Fontainebleau. 
The  Chateau  of  Fontainebleau  is  indeed  a  quaint  and 
lovely  palace.  It  is  situated  in  a  beautiful  forest  covering 
nearly  sixty  thousand  acres,  and  is  about  two  hours'  ride  from 
Paris.  It  is  composed  of  buildings  of  different  epochs  and 
irregular  appearance.  The  most  ancient  and  curious  part  is 
the  Oval  Court.  The  principal  entrance  is  called  the  Court 
of  Honor.  To  the  west  is  the  wing  containing  the  apart- 
ments occupied  by  Pope  Pius  VII.  during  his  exile  from 
Rome.   The  front  of  the  palace  exhibits  six  pointed  pavilions. 

EXAMPLE. 
Ashby  Palace. 
The  fine  old  ruin  of  Ashby  Palace  is  situated  on  the 
borders  of  Leicestershire  in  England.  It  stands  not  far  from 
the  beautiful  river  Trent,  and  commands  a  magnificent 
view  of  the  famous  Barclon  Hill.  It  consists  of  a  square 
tower,  two  embattled  walls,  and  is  surrounded  by  rampart 

*  Properties  include  size,  shape,  position,  or  uses. 


CONSTRUCTION   OF    PARAGRAPHS.  71 

walls  and  a  moat.  There  is  the  remnant  of  a  huge  dining 
hall  with  finely  trellised  and  fretted  roof.  The  apartment  is 
shown  where  many  prisoners  of  note  were  kept  in  durance, 
and  the  subterranean  chamber  where  the  Norman  knight 
tortured  the  Jew,  Isaac  of  York,  is  still  pointed  out. 

1.  Species.     Ruined  castle. 

2.  Properties.  Is  situated  in  Leicestershire.  Stands  not 
far  from  the  Trent. 

3.  Parts.  Square  tower.  Two  embattled  walls.  Ram- 
parts. Moat.  Dining  hall.  Prison  hall.  Chamber  where 
Isaac  of  York  was  tortured. 

LESSON   XIV. 

Give  a  description  of  "The  Coliseum/'  taking  the 
following  as  your  filled-up  scheme: 

1.  Species.     Ruined  Amphitheatre. 

2.  Properties.  Elliptical  building.  564  feet  long.  Used 
for  public  fetes. 

3.  Parts.  Eighty  rows  of  marble  seats.  Magnificent  carv- 
ings. Marble  pillars.  Stately  windows.  Triumphal  arches. 
Gorgeous  designs. 


LESSOIST    XV. 

Give  a  description  of  Brussels,  taking  the  following  as 
your  filled-up  scheme  : 

1.  Species.     City. 

2.  Properties.     In  Belgium.     Fortified  town. 

3.  Parts.  Many  beautiful  houses.  The  famous  Hotel  de 
Ville.  The  Cathedral  of  St.  Gudule.  The  Palace  of  Laerken. 
The  Gallery  of  St.  Hubert.  The  Square  of  the  Martyrs. 
The  Jardin  Botanique. 


72  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


LESSON   XVI. 

Give  a  description  of  the  town  yon  live  in,  preparing 
your  scheme  before  proceeding  with  yonr  paragraph. 


LESSON    XVII. 

Give  a  description  of  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  preparing 
your  scheme  as  in  Lesson  XV. 


2.    Class  Objects. 
LESSON    XVIII. 

Copy  upon  your  slates  this  scheme : 

1.  Species. 

a.  Genus. 

b.  Difference. 

2.  Properties.* 

3.  Parts. 

4.  Kinds. 

Then  fill  up  your  scheme  and  proceed  to  write  the  para- 
graph at  full  length. 

Describe  a  piano. 

*  Properties  include  size,  shape,  position,  or  uses. 


CONSTRUCTION   OF   PARAGRAPHS.  73 

EXAMPLE. 

A  rifle. 

1.  Species. 

a.  Genus.    A  firearm. 

b.  Difference.    It  is  groove-barrelled. 

2.  Properties.  Accuracy  of  aim.  Length  of  range.  Used 
in  war  and  sport. 

3.  Parts.  Stock.  Lock.  Barrel.  Trigger.  Spring. 
Nipple. 

4.  Kinds.  Breech-loading.  Muzzle-loading.  Spiral- 
grooved,  etc. 

The  rifle  is  a  firearm.  It  differs  from  other  firearms  in 
that  it  is  groove-barrelled.  It  gives  great  accuracy  of  aim 
and  length  of  range,  and  it  is  used  in  war  and  in  sport.  It 
consists  of  a  stock,  a  lock,  a  barrel,  a  trigger,  a  spring,  and 
a  nipple.  There  are  various  kinds  of  rifles  ;  as,  for  instance, 
the  muzzle-loading,  the  breech-loading,  the  spiral-grooved, 
and  several  others. 


LESSON   XIX. 

Give  descriptions  of  a  huggy  and  a  printing-press,  pre- 
paring your  schemes  as  in  Lesson  XYIIL 


LESSON   XX. 

Give  descriptions  of  a  man-of-war  and  a  clock,  prepar- 
ing your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraphs. 


74  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


LESSON   XXI. 

Give  descriptions  of  a  dictionary  and  a  gate,  preparing 
your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraphs. 


LESSON   XXII. 

Give  descriptions  of  a  church,  an  umbrella,  and 
a  photograph,  preparing  your  schemes  before  proceeding 
with  your  paragraphs. 


LESSON   XXIII. 

Give  descriptions  of  a  plough,  a  teapot,  and  a  lead- 
pencil,  preparing  your  schemes  before  proceeding  with 
your  paragraphs. 


LESSON    XXIV. 

Give  descriptions  of  a  spade,  a  thimble,  and  a  slipper, 
preparing  your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your 
paragraphs. 


LESSON   XXV. 

Give  descriptions  of  a  pistol,  a  chair,  and  a  telescope, 
preparing  your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your 
paragraphs. 


CONSTRUCTION   OP  PARAGRAPHS.  75 

3.    Moral  Qualities. 

LESSON    XXVI. 

Copy  on  your  slates  this  scheme : 

1.  Species. 

a.  Genus. 

b.  Difference. 

2.  Properties. 

3.  Effects  on  Society. 

4.  Effects  on  Self. 
Describe  truth. 

EXAMPLE. 

Honesty. 

1.  Species. 

a.  Genus.    A  social  virtue. 

b.  Difference.    It  aims  at  giving  each  man  his  own. 

2.  Properties.  It  is  found  in  trade.  In  the  school-room. 
In  society. 

3.  Effects  on  Society.  It  makes  men  trust  and  respect  us. 
It  encourages  them  to  advance  our  interests. 

4.  Effects  on  Self.  It  makes  us  happy.  It  increases  our 
worldly  prosperity.     Honesty  is  the  best  policy. 

Honesty  is  a  social  virtue.  It  differs  from  other  socia^ 
virtues  in  that  it  aims  at  giving  each  man  his  own.  It  is 
found  in  trade,  in  the  school-room,  and  in  society.  It  makes 
men  trust  and  respect  those  that  exhibit  it,  and  encourages 
them  to  advance  their  interests.  It  makes  its  possessors 
happy,  and  increases  their  worldly  prosperity.  Honesty  is 
the  best  policy. 


76  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


LESSON    XXVII. 

Give  descriptions  of  benevolence  and  duplicity,  preparing 
your  scJiemes  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraphs. 


LESSON    XXVIII. 

Give  descriptions  of  friendship  and  hypocrisy,  preparing 
your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraphs. 


LESSON    XXIX. 

Give  descriptions  of  perseverance,  cowardice,  and  envy, 
preparing  your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your  para- 
graphs. 

LESSON    XXX. 

Give  descriptions  of  revenge,  mercy,  and  justice,  pre- 
paring your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your  para- 
graphs. 


LESSON    XXXI. 


Give  descriptions  of  ambition,  extravagance,  and  pride, 
preparing  your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your 
paragraphs. 


CONSTRUCTION    OF   PARAGRAPHS.  77 


LESSON    XXXII. 

Give  descriptions  of  'malice,  charity,  and  faith,  pre- 
paring your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your  para- 
graphs. 


III.     REFLECTION. 

Reflection  means  turning  one's  mind  back  upon,  and 
reflective  paragraphs  are  those  that  call  upon  our  thoughts 
and  emotions  for  expression. 

They  may  be  classified  thus  : 

1.  Individual  Objects  and  Class  Objects. 

2.  Events  and  Moral  Qualities. 

3.  The  Characters  op  Persons. 

1.    Individual  Objects  and  Class  Objects. 

Copy  on  your  slates  this  scheme  : 

1.  The  Feelings. 

2.  The  Qualities. 

a.  Beauty  or  deformity. 

b.  Utility  or  inutility. 

3.  Suggestion  about  its  origin. 

4.  Simile. 

LESSON   XXXIII. 

Write  a  reflective  paragraph  on  your  own  school  build- 
ing, preparing  your  scheme  before  proceeding  with  your 
paragraph. 


78  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

EXAMPLE. 
Stonehenge. 

1.  Hie  feelings.    Pleasure.     Interest.    Wonder. 

2.  The  qualities. 

a.  Beauty  or  deformity.     Picturesqueness.     Graceful- 
ness of  outline. 

b.  Utility  or  inutility.    Useful  to  mark  the  place  of 
some  great  battle,  or  as  the  shrine  of  some  old  Druid. 

3.  Suggestion  about  its  origin.     The  sight  of  it  carries  our 
minds  back  to  the  time  of  the  early  Kelts  and  Saxons. 

4.  Simile.     It  is  like  a  ghost  of  the  dead  Past. 


LESSON  xxxrv. 

Write  a  reflection  on  The  White  House  at  Washington, 
preparing  your  scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  para- 
graph. 


LESSON    XXXV. 

Write  reflections  on  a  museum  and  a  railroad  depot, 
preparing  your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your  para- 
graphs. 


LESSON    XXXVI. 

Write  reflections  on  a  church  and  a  city  hall,  pre- 
paring your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your  para- 
graphs. 


CONSTRUCTION   OF   PARAGRAPHS.  79 


LESSON    XXXVII. 

Write  reflections  on  The  City  of  New  York  and  An 
Asylum  for  the  Blind,  preparing  your  schemes  before  pro- 
ceeding with  your  paragraphs. 


LESSON    XXXVIII. 

Write  reflections  on  The  Steamship  Ville  du  Havre, 
preparing  your  scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  para- 
graph. 


LESSON    XXXIX. 

Write  a  reflection  on  a  harmonium,  preparing  your 
scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraph. 

EXAMPLE. 
A  telescope. 

1.  Hie  Feelings,    Pleasure.     Admiration.     Wonder. 

2.  The  Qualities, 

a.  Beauty  or  deformity.     Its  beauty.     The  intricacy, 
yet  simplicity,  of  its  structure.     Its  completeness. 

b.  Utility  or  inutility.     Useful  in  science,  war,  sport, 
engineering,  and  navigation. 

3.  Suggestion  about  its  origin.  It  reminds  us  of  the  inge- 
nuity of  its  inventors,  of  the  struggles  of  the  man  of  science, 
and  of  the  wonderful  goodness  of  God. 

4.  Simile.  It  is  like  a  magician  with  the  instant  power  to 
bring  far-off  things  near  to  us. 


80  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

We  look  at  a  telescope  with  feelings  of  pleasure,  admira- 
tion, and  wonder.  We  admire  it  for  its  beauty,  the  intricacy, 
yet  simplicity,  of  its  structure,  and  the  completeness  of  its 
arrangements.  We  know  how  useful  it  is  to  the  scientist,  the 
soldier,  the  sailor,  the  engineer,  and  the  sportsman.  It 
reminds  us  of  the  ingenuity  of  its  inventors,  the  struggles  of 
the  astronomer,  and  the  wonderful  goodness  of  God.  It  is 
like  a  magician  with  the  instant  power  to  bring  far-off  things 
near  to  us. 


LESSON    XL. 

Write  a  reflection  on  a  steam-engine,  preparing  your 
scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraph. 


LESSON   XLI. 

Write  a  reflection  on  the  Bible,  preparing  your  scheme 
before  proceeding  with  your  paragraph. 


LESSON   XLII. 

Write  reflections  on  a  steam-plough  and  a  musical-box, 
preparing  your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your 
paragraphs. 

LESSON    XLIII. 

Write  reflections  on  a  violet  and  a  picture,  preparing 
your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraphs. 


CONSTRUCTION   OF   PARAGRAPHS.  81 


LESSON    XLIV. 

"Write  reflections  on  a  bird's-nest  and  a  tree,  preparing 
your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraphs. 


LESSON    XLV. 

"Write  reflections  on  a  theodolite  and  a  stove,  preparing 
your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraphs. 


LESSON"    XLVI. 

Write  reflections  on  an  album,  a  steam-paclcet,  and 
a  cannon,  preparing  your  schemes  before  proceeding  with 
your  paragraphs. 

2.    Events  and  Moral  Qualities. 

Copy  on  your  slates  this  scheme  : 

1.  Origin. 

2.  Kesults  (to  the  world). 

3.  Besult  (to  self). 

4.  The  Feelings. 

5.  Moral  Deduction.  %{ 

6.  Illustration  (simile). 

Events. 
LESSON   XLVII. 

Write  a  reflection  on  The  Invention  of  the  Use  of 
Steam,  preparing  your  scheme  before  you  proceed  with 
your  paragraph. 


82  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

EXAMPLE. 
Reflection  on  the  Declaration  of  American  Independence. 

1.  Origin.  The  tyranny  of  a  weak-minded  king.  The 
Americans  disgusted  with  unjust  taxes. 

2.  Result  (to  the  world).  Increased  commerce.  Spread  of 
civilization.  The  better  balancing  of  national  power.  A  good 
example. 

3.  Result  (to  America).  The  birth  of  a  great  nation.  The 
foundation  of  American  freedom.  The  settlement  of  wild 
country.  The  growth  of  Christianity,  civilization,  and  com- 
merce. The  rapid  development  of  national  resources.  The 
increase  of  prosperity.     A  love  of  country. 

4.  The  Feelings.  Such  being  its  effects,  we  cannot  but 
regard  it  with  feelings  of  approbation.  We  almost  feel  con- 
tempt for  the  weak  monarch  and  foolish  ministers.  Sym- 
pathy for  the  oppressed.  Admiration  for  the  revolutionary- 
heroes.  Gratitude  to  them  for  the  benefits  we  enjoy  from 
their  acts. 

v   5.   Moral  Deduction.    Patriotism  a  duty,  not  only  as  regards 
ourselves,  but  also  as  regards  future  generations. 

v\  6.   Illustration.     It  may  be  compared  to  the  planting  of  a 

*great  tree. 

What  led  to  the  declaration  of  independence  by  America 
was  the  tyranny  of  a  weak-minded  king  who  disgusted  the 
Americans  by  the  imposition  of  unjust  taxes.  The  results  to 
the  world  were  an  immense  increase  of  commerce,  a  mar- 
vellous spread  of  civilization,  the  better  balancing  of  national 
power,  and  the  exhibition  of  a  glorious  example.  To  America 
it  was  the  birth  of  its  national  glory.  It  gave  her  civil  and 
religious  liberty.  From  that  time  her  wild  lands  yielded  to 
progress  of  civilization,  her  resources  were  developed,  Chris- 
tianity reached  her  utmost  confines,  her  prosperity  has  been 


CONSTRUCTION   OF   PARAGRAPHS.  83 

boundless,  and  a  love  of  country  has  sprung  up  in  the  heart 
of  every  one  of  her  sons.  These  being  the  effects,  we  cannot 
but  look  upon  it  with  feelings  of  approbation.  We  regard 
almost  with  contempt  the  weak  monarch  who  by  his  foolish 
deeds  caused  the  alienation  of  such  a  grand  country  ;  we  can- 
not but  have  sympathy  for  our  oppressed  forefathers,  admira- 
tion for  their  heroism,  and  gratitude  for  the  benefits  that  we 
enjoy  from  their  acts.  Thus  we  see  that  patriotism  is  a  duty, 
not  only  as  regards  ourselves,  but  also  as  regards  future  gen- 
erations. It  may  be  compared  to  the  launching  of  a  huge 
vessel. 


LESSON    XLVIII. 

Write  a  reflection  on  The  Assassination  of  President 
Lincoln,  preparing  your  scheme  before  proceeding  with 
your  paragraph. 


»  LESSON    XLIX. 

Write  a  reflection  on  The  Discovery  of  America,  pre- 
paring your  scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  para- 
graph. 


LESSON    L. 


Write  a  reflection  on  The  Landing  of  the  Pilgrim 
Fathers,  preparing  your  scheme  before  proceeding  with 
your  paragraphs. 


84  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


LESSON   LI. 

Write  a  reflection  on  The  Great  Fire  at  Chicago,  pre- 
paring your  scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  para- 
graph. 


LESSON   LII. 

"Write  a  reflection  on  The  Laying  of  the  Atlantic  Cable, 
preparing  your  scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  para- 
graph. 


LESSON   LIII. 

"Write  a  reflection  on  The  Eclipse  of  the  Sun,  preparing 
your  scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraph. 


LESSON   LIV. 

Write  a  reflection  on  The  Discovery  of  the  Circulation 
of  the  Blood,  preparing  your  scheme  before  proceeding 
with  your  paragraph. 


Moral   Qualities. 

LESSON    LV. 

Write  a  reflection  on  envy,  preparing  your  scheme  before 
proceeding  with  your  paragraph. 


CONSTRUCTION    OF   PARAGRAPHS.  85 


3y,-«-  ^teuWt 


EXAMPLE. 
Reflection  on  Hypocrisy. 

1.  Origin.  A  wish  to  appear  good.  A  fear  of  what  the 
world  will  say.1    Selfishness. 

2.  Results  (to  the  world).  It  creates  a  false  esteem  that  will 
turn  to  contempt  when  the  fraud  is  discovered.  It  makes 
men  distrustful  of  their  neighbors. 

3.  Results  (to  self).  The  hypocrite  lives  in  a  constant 
dread  of  exposure.  His  hypocrisy  drives  him  into  lying  and 
fraud.  He  loses  his  seK-esteem,  and  is  sure  to  meet  with  his 
just  punishment. 

4.  TJie  Feelings.  We  look  upon  the  hypocrite  with  con- 
tempt and  indignation,  and  rarely  pity  him  in  his  exposure. 

5.  Moral  Deduction.  Hypocrisy  does  not  pay.  It  renders 
us  miserable  while  practising  it,  and  detested  when  found  out. 

6.  Illustration  (simile).     Like  the  painted  sepulchre. 

The  origin  of  hypocrisy  may  be  often  found  in  a  wish  to 
appear  better  than  we  naturally  are,  or  a  fear  of  what  the 
world  will  say  of  our  actions.  It  may  also  be  traced  to 
our  innate  selfishness  and  love  of  adulation.  We  may  for  a 
time  gain  the  esteem  of  our  acquaintance  by  its  exercise,  but 
when  we  are  found  out,  as  we  are  sure  to  be,  we  shall  be  held 
in  the  bitterest  contempt.  Hypocrisy  makes  men  distrustful 
of  one  another.  The  hypocrite  lives  in  a  constant  dread  of 
exposure.  Nor  does  his  misery  end  here  ;  for  his  hypocrisy 
drives  him  to  the  committal  of  other  sins  :  lying,  fraud,  and 
irreligion.  He  loses  his  self-esteem,  and  is  sure  some  day  or 
other  to  meet  with  his  just  condemnation.  This  being  the 
case,  we  can  only  look  at  hypocrisy  with  contempt  and  in- 
dignation. Thus  hypocrisy  does  not  pay,  for  it  renders  us 
miserable  while  practising  it,  and  detested  when  found  out. 
It  is  as  vain  and  worthless  as  the  painted  sepulchre. 


86  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


LESSON    LVI. 

Write  a  reflection  on  friendship,  preparing  your  scheme 
before  proceeding  with,  your  paragraph. 


LESSON    LVII. 

Write  a  reflection  on  obedience,  preparing  your  scheme 
before  proceeding  with  your  paragraph. 


LESSON    LVIII. 

Write  a  reflection  on  filial  affection,  preparing  your 
scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraph. 


LESSON    LIX. 

Write  a  reflection  on  bravery,  preparing  your  scheme 
before  proceeding  with  your  paragraph. 


LESSON    LX. 

Write  reflections  on  industry  and  contentment,  prepar- 
ing your  scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraph. 


LESSON   LXL 

Write  reflections  on  constancy,  tattling,  and  jealousy, 
preparing  your  scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  para- 
graph. 


CONSTRUCTION    OF   PARAGRAPHS.  87 


3.    The  Characters  of  Persons. 

Copy  on  your  slates  this  scheme : 

1.  His  mental  qualities. 

2.  His  moral  qualities. 

3.  The  motives  from  which  he  generally  acted. 

4.  The  effect  of  his  conduct  on  others. 

5.  The  effect  of  his  conduct  on  himself. 

6.  His  character  in  different  capacities. 


LESSON    LXII. 

Write  a  reflection  on  Benjamin  Franklin,  preparing 
your  scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraph. 

EXAMPLE. 
Napoleon  I. 

1.  Mental  Qualities.  Vigor.  Great  capacity.  Belief  in 
fatality. 

2.  Moral  Qualities.  Intrepidity.  Cruelty.  Arrogance. 
Generosity.     Perseverance.     Truthfulness. 

3.  Motives.     Self-aggrandizement.     Love  of  country. 

4.  Effect  on  others.  Beloved  by  his  followers.  Feared  by 
his  enemies.  Helped  to  crush  the  tyranny  of  Austria. 
Brought  the  misery  of  war  upon  all  Europe. 

5.  Effect  on  himself.  "Was  unhappy.  Wore  himself  out 
by  his  ambition.     Distrustful.     Discontented. 

6.  His  various  characters.  A  soldier.  An  emperor.  A  con- 
queror.    A  husband.     A  man. 

When  we  look  at  the  life  of  this  great  man,  we  are  struck 
with  the  vigor  of  his  mind  and  the  capacity  of  his  intellect. 


88  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

It  is  strange  that  such  a  man  could  have  been  a  slave  to  the 
deceitful  terrors  of  fatalism.  He  was  a  paradox ;  intrepid, 
cruel,  and  arrogant,  and  at  the  same  time  generous,  per- 
severing, and  truthful.  His  motives  were  always  for  self- 
aggrandizement,  tempered  with  a  praiseworthy  love  of  France 
and  an  anxiety  for  her  glory.  His  enthusiasm  made  him 
beloved  by  his  followers,  and  his  military  genius  caused  him 
to  be  feared  by  his  enemies.  He  was  an  instrument  in  check- 
ing the  rapacious  greed  of  Russia  and  Austria,  but  all  Europe 
suffered  through  him  the  misery  of  prolonged  warfare.  The 
result  of  his  conduct  was  that  he  was  unhappy,  distrustful, 
and  discontented.  As  a  soldier  he  was  without  an  equal, 
brave,  sagacious,  and  unbending.  As  an  emperor  he  was  fond 
of  parade,  autocratic,  and  imperious.  As  a  conqueror  he  was 
unrelenting  and  tyrannical.  As  a  husband  he  was  alternately 
loving  and  inconstant.  As  a  man  he  was  a  true  friend  and 
a  bitter  foe. 


LESSON   LXIIL 


Write  a  reflection  on  George  Washington,   preparing 
your  scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraph. 


LESSON   LXIV. 

Write  a  reflection  on   William  Penn,  preparing  your 
scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraph. 


LESSON    LXV. 

Write  a  reflection  on  General  Lafayette,  preparing  your 
scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraph. 


CONSTRUCTION   OP   PARAGRAPHS.  89 


LESSON  LXVI. 

Write  a  reflection  on   Washington  Irving,  preparing 
your  scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraph. 


LESSON   LXVII. 

Write  a  reflection  on  George  Peabody,  preparing  your 
scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraph. 


LESSON"    LXVIII. 

Write  a  reflection  on  General  Sherman,  preparing  your 
scheme  before  proceeding  with  your  paragraph. 


LESSON    LXIX. 

Write  reflections  on  George  Bancroft  and  Edward  Ev- 
erett, preparing  your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your 
paragraphs. 

LESSON    LXX. 

Write  reflections  on  Daniel  Webster  and  John  S. 
Mill,  preparing  your  schemes  before  proceeding  with 
your  paragraphs. 


LESSON    LXXI. 

Write  reflections  on  Sir  Walter  Scott  and  Lord  Byron, 
preparing  your  schemes  before  proceeding  with  your  para- 
graphs. 


PART  IV. 

FIGUKES  OF  SPEECH. 


LESSON  I. 

SIMILE,    OR   COMPARISON. 

A  Simile  is  a  comparison  of  two  objects,  and  is 
founded  on  resemblances.     Thus  : 

As  the  mountains  are  round  about  Jerusalem,  so  is  the 
Lord  round  about  his  people. 

A  troubled  conscience  is  like  the  sea  when  moved  by  a 
tempest. 

The  actions  of  princes  are  like  those  great  rivers,  the  course 
of  which  every  one  beholds,,  but  the  springs  of  which  have 
been  seen  by  few. 

In  forming  comparisons  care  must  be  taken  that  the 
object  selected  is  better  known  than  that  which  is  com- 
pared to  it.  Comparisons  should  not  be  too  far-fetched, 
but  should  be  appropriate  to  the  subject  under  consider- 
ation. They  should  not  be  made  between  objects  the 
likeness  of  which  is  too  obvious. 

Make  similes  to  each  of  the  following  words  : 


Life. 

Anger. 

Friendship. 

Death. 

Fate. 

Sorrow. 

Keligion. 

Perseverance. 

Love. 

FIGURES    OF   SPEECH.  91 

LESSON    II. 

METAPHOR. 

A  Metaphor  is  founded  on  comparison,  but  repre- 
sents one  thing  as  doing  what  is  really  done  by  another. 
Thus,  to  say,  "  The  minister  upholds  the  state  as  the 
pillar  supports  the  building,"  is  a  simile  ;  but,  "  The 
minister  is  the  pillar  of  the  state,"  is  a  metaphor.  "  Man 
is  like  a  tree ;  his  actions  are  as  its  fruit,"  is  a  simile ; 
but,  "  Man  puts  forth  to-day  the  tender  leaves  of  hope, 
to-morrow  blossoms,"  is  a  metaphor. 

Care  must  be  taken  not  to  mix  the  metaphors. 

I  bridle  in  my  struggling  muse  with  pain, 
That  longs  to  launch  into  a  bolder  strain. 

Addison. 

In  this  passage  "  the  muse  "  is  spoken  of  as  requiring 
a  bridle,  and  may  therefore  be  supposed  to  be  a  horse  ; 
but  in  the  next  line  it  is  figured  as  a  ship  which  is  to  be 
launched. 

There  is  not  a  single  view  of  human  nature  which  is  not 
sufficient  to  extinguish  the  seeds  of  pride. 

Here,  also,  there  is  confusion,  as  a  "  view "  is  spoken 
of  as  extinguishing  "  seeds." 

Change  the  following  Metaphorical  sentences  into 
plain  language. 

1.  I  will  be  unto  her  a  wall  of  fire  round  about,  and  will 
be  the  glory  in  the  midst  of  her. 

2.  Thou  art  my  rock  and  my  fortress. 

3.  Thy  word  is  a  lamp  to  my  feet,  and  a  light  to  my  path. 


92  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

4.  Now  came  still  evening  on,  and  twilight  gray 
Had  in  her  sober  livery  all  things  clad. 

5.  But,  look,  the  morn,  in  russet  mantle  clad, 
Walks  o'er  the  dew  of  yon  high  eastern  hill. 

6.  That  maiden's  eyes  are  the  pearls  of  dew, 
And  her  cheek  the  moss-rose  opening  new  ; 
Her  smile  is  the  sun-brink  on  the  brae, 

,  When  the  shower  is  past,  and  the  cloud  away. 


lesson  in. 

ALLEGORY. 

An  Allegory  may  be  described  as  a  continued  meta- 
phor. It  represents  in  detail  the  actions  of  one  as  if  they 
were  those  of  another.  Bunyan's  "  Pilgrim's  Progress  " 
is  a  beautiful  example  of  a  well-sustained  allegory.  "  The 
Vision  of  Mizra,"  in  the  Spectator,  is  another.  There  are 
several  magnificent  allegories  in  the  Scriptures  (see  Psalm 
lxxx.  and  Ezekiel  xvii.  22-24). 

It  is  needful  in  a  good  allegory  that  the  figurative  and 
literal  meaning  shall  not  be  inconsistently  mixed.  It 
should  not  be  too  dark,  nor  partake  of  the  nature  of  a 
puzzle.  The  meaning  should  be  readily  perceived,  al- 
though veiled  by  the  language  of  figure. 

Write  out  the  poem  of  "  Excelsior,"  by  Longfellow. 
Illustrate  briefly  its  allegorical  meaning.  Change  it  into 
a  prose  narrative. 


FIGURES   OF   SPEECH.  ■         93 

LESSON   IV. 

ALLEGORY   CONTINUED. 

"Write  an  allegory  on  The  Empire  of  Poetry,*  taking 
the  following  for  your  scheme  : 

1.  The  empire  is  a  populous  country,  divided  into  Upper 
and  Lower  Regions. 

2.  The  capital  of  Upper  Poetry  is  Epic,  whose  principal 
suburb  is  Romance.    Here  are  the  Mountains  of  Tragedy. 

3.  The  capital  of  Lower  Poetry  is  Burlesque  ;  another  large 
town  is  Comedy. 

4.  Between  the  states  of  Higher  and  Lower  Poetry  are  the 
Deserts  of  Common  Sense. 

5.  The  empire  has  two  rivers,  Rhyme  and  Reason. 

6.  River  Rhyme  rises  in  the  Mountains  of  Revery,  whose 
tops  are  called  Points  of  Sublime  Thoughts.  At  the  foot  of 
these  mountains  lie  the  caverns  of  Low  Conceptions.  The 
principal  towns  on  river  Rhyme  are  Roundelay  and  Ballad. 

7.  River  Reason  is  very  straight.  It  rises  in  the  Mountains 
of  Revery.  On  its  banks  is  the  dark  Forest  of  Bombast,  where 
it  is  utterly  lost. 

8.  Plagiarism  is  a  sterile  province  of  the  empire. 

9.  The  chief  island  is  the  Island  of  Satire, 


LESSON  V. 


"Write  an  allegory  on  Man   as  a  Ship,  sailing  over 
the  Sea  of  Life. 

*  The  ideas  of  this  allegory  are  taken  from  the  writings  of  Fontenelle. 


94  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


LESSON  VI. 

"Write  an  allegory  on  The  Human  Passions  as  a  garden 
of  Flowers  and  Weeds. 


LESSON  VII. 

"Write  an  allegory  on  Life  as  the  Seasons. 


LESSON  VIII. 

Write  an  allegory  on  The  Feelings  as  Strains  of  Music. 


LESSON  IX. 

PERSONIFICATION. 

Personification  is  a  figure  in  which  some  inanimate 
object  is  represented  as  having  life  and  the  power  of 
action.     Thus  : 

The  mountains  skipped  like  rams,  and  the  little  hills  like 
lambs. 

Earth  trembled  from  her  entrails,  as  again 

In  pangs,  and  nature  gave  a  second  groan  ; 

Sky  lowered,  and,  muttering  thunder,  some  sad  drops 

Wept,  at  completing  of  the  mortal  sin. 

Milton. 

Personify  the  following  objects  : 

1.  A  ship.  5.  Sunday.  9.  Drunkenness. 

2.  A  horse.  6.  Work.  10.  Hope. 

3.  A  locomotive  engine.  7.  Old  age.  11.  Sleep. 

4.  The  morning.  8.  Youth. 


FIGURES   OP   SPEECH.  95 


LESSON  X. 


APOSTROPHE. 

Apostrophe  addresses  the  absent,  the  dead,  or  the  in- 
animate, as  if  the  last  had  consciousness.     Thus  : 

0  Death  !  where  is  thy  sting  1    0  Grave  !  where  is  thy 
victory  ] 

I  knew  him,  Horatio  ;  a  fellow  of  infinite  jest ;  of  most  ex- 
cellent fancy ;  he  hath  borne  me  on  his  back  a  thousand 
times.  Here  hung  those  lips  that  I  have  kissed  I  know  not 
how  oft.  Where  be  your  gibes  now  1  your  gambols  ?  your 
songs  ?  your  flashes  of  merriment,  that  were  wont  to  set  the 
table  on  a  roar  1  —  Hamlet 

Apostrophize  : 

The  ocean.  The  setting  sun.  The  snow.  The  Mississippi. 
George  Washington.     A  faded  rose.     A  picture. 

Change  the  following  so  as  to  introduce  an  apostrophe : 

As  David  went  up,  he  exclaimed  that  he  would  rather  have 
died  than  have  lost  his  son  Absalom. 


LESSON  XI. 

ANTITHESIS. 

Antithesis  contrasts  two  objects.     Thus  : 
Though  deep,  yet  clear  ;  though  gentle,  yet  not  dull  ; 
Strong  without  rage  ;  without  o'erflowing,  full. 

Antithesis  should  be  only  used  when  the  contrast  is 
natural  and  appropriate. 

Exercise.  —  Form  eight  sentences,  each  containing  an 
antithesis. 


96  ENGLISH    COMPOSITION. 

Copy  out  the  following,  and  underline  the  words  that 
are  antithetical  to  each  other  : 

a.  Let  us  he  sacrificers,  but  not  butchers,  Caius. 
Let 's  kill  him  boldly,  but  not  wrathfully  ; 
Let 's  carve  him  as  a  dish  fit  for  the  gods, 
Not  hew  him  as  a  carcass  tit  for  hounds. 

Shakespeare. 

b.  Grave  without  dulness,  learned  without  pride  ; 
Exact,  yet  not  precise  ;  though  meek,  keen-eyed. 

Gray. 


LESSON  XII. 

HYPERBOLE. CLIMAX. IRONY. 

Hyperbole  exaggerates  a  statement.  It  differs  from  a 
falsehood,  because  in  using  it  there  is  no  wish  to  deceive. 
It  is  a  kind  of  speech  into  which  young  people  are  liable 
to  fall. 

I  saw  their  chief,  tall  as  a  rock  of  ice  ;  his  spear,  a  blasted 
fir  ;  his  shield,  the  rising  moon  ;  he  sat  on  the  shore  like  a 
cloud  of  mist  on  a  hill.  —  Ossian. 

That  star  at  your  birth  shone  out  so  bright, 
It  stained  the  duller  sun's  meridian  light. 

Dryden. 

Climax  is  a  figure  in  which  the  original  idea  is  ampli- 
fied, by  which  each  successive  circumstance  rises  in  in- 
terest.    Thus  : 

It  is  a  crime  to  put  a  Roman  citizen  in  bonds  ;  it  is  the 
height  of  guilt  to  scourge  him  ;  little  less  than  parricide  to 
put  him  to  death  ;  what  name,  then,  shall  I  give  to  the  act 
of  crucifying  him  1  —  Cicero. 

Irony  gives   expression  to  the   opposite  of  what  is 


FIGURES    OF   SPEECH.  97 

thought.  Thus,  if  we  thought  a  man  stupid,  it  would 
be  ironical  to  say,  "  You  are  wonderfully  intelligent !  " 
If  we  thought  a  man  a  rogue,  it  would  be  ironical  to 
speak  of  him  as  "  An  honest  individual  —  very  !  " 

The  ironical  meaning  is  more  often  brought  out  by  the 
tone  of  the  voice  than  by  the  language  itself. 

EXERCISES. 

1.  Express  the  following  in  the  language  of  hyberbole  : 
There  were  many  people  assembled.     The  mountain  was 

high.  Much  rain  fell.  He  has  saved  some  money  by  his 
industry. 

2.  Quote  several  passages  which  contain  examples  of 
climax. 

3.  Form  a  short  narrative  which  shall  contain  a  few 
ironical  sentences. 

4.  Divest  the  following  passage  of  its  hyperbolic  rav- 
ing : 

She  poured  forth  tears  at  such  a  lavish  rate, 

That,  were  the  world  on  fire,  they  might  have  drowned 

The  wrath  of  heaven,  and  quenched  the  mighty  ruin. 

Popular  Poetess. 

LESSON    XIII. 

INTERROGATION. METONOMY.  —  SYNECDOCHE. 

Interrogation  is  that  figure  which  asks  a  question 
without  requiring  an  answer.  It  is  frequently,  indeed, 
a  strong  mode  of  assertion.     Thus  : 

Breathes  there  a  man,  with  soul  so  dead, 

LWho  never  to  himself  hath  said,  — 
This  is  my  own,  my  native  land  1 
: 


98  ENGLISH    COMPOSITION. 

Here  the  poet  is  not  asking  for  information,  but  assert- 
ing strongly  that  no  such  man  could  be  found. 

Metonomy  frequently  reverses  cause  and  effect.    Thus  : 

"  They  read  Scott,"  means  "  They  read  Scott's  works." 
"  Gray  hairs  should  be  respected,"  means  that  "  Old  age  (of 
which  gray  hairs  are  the  evidence)  should  be  treated  with 
respect." 

Sometimes  it  places  a  part  for  a  whole,  as,  "  There 
were  twenty  head  of  cattle  in  the  market,"  where  the 
head  stands  for  the  whole  animal.  In  "  Twenty  sail  of 
the  line  entered  the  harbor,"  the  sail  stands  for  the  whole 
ship.  "When  thus  used  the  figure  is  sometimes  called 
Synecdoche. 

EXERCISES. 

1.  Quote  some  poetical  passages  containing  illustra- 
tions of  interrogation. 

2.  Correct  the  errors  in  the  use  of  figurative  language 
in  the  following  : 

He  was  so  much  skilled  in  the  empire  of  the  oar,  that 
few  could  excel  him. 

At  length  Erasmus,  that  great  injured  name 
(The  glory  of  the  priesthood  and  the  shame), 
Curbed  the  wild  torrent  of  a  barb'rous  age, 
And  drove  those  holy  Vandals  off  the  stage. 
On  the  wide  sea  of  letters  't  was  thy  boast 
To  crowd  each  sail,  and  touch  at  every  coast. 
From  that  rich  mine  how  often  hast  thou  brought 
The  pure  and  precious  pearls  of  splendid  thought. 

3.  Point  out  the  metonomy  in  the  following  : 

a.  And  as  a  hare  whom  hounds  and  horns  pursue. 

b.  Dost  thou  so  hunger  for  my  empty  chair 

That  thou  wilt  needs  invest  thee  with  mine  honor 
Before  thy  hour  is  ripe  ? 


FIGURES   OF   SPEECH.  99 


RULES  FOR,  ENGLISH  COMPOSITION. 

The  following  simple  rules  for  Composition  will  be 
found  useful : 

1.  Bear  in  mind  that  clearness  of  expression  is  the 
great  object  to  be  aimed  at. 

2.  To  gain  this  end,  you  must  first  acquire  a  perfect 
knowledge  of  the  topic  upon  which  you  are  about  to  write. 

3.  When  an  artist  wishes  to  produce  an  imaginative 
sketch,  he  first  pictures  the  scene  in  his  mind's  eye ; 
then,  in  a  few  bold  dashes,  he  commits  the  design  to 
canvas,  and  afterwards  works  out  the  body  of  his  piece. 
So  should  it  be  with  theme-making.  Ponder  well  upon 
your  subject  before  you  begin.  Decide  upon  your  argu- 
ments, and  then  trace  out  the  threads  of  your  essay  in 
salient  points.  Having  thus  produced  a  skeleton-theme, 
you  can  proceed  to  the  working  out  of  your  dissertation. 

4.  Having  written  a  sentence,  study  it  carefully,  and 
try  if  you  cannot  improve  its  tone  of  elegance  and  pro- 
priety. 

5.  Do  not  aim  at  using  fine  words ;  for  simplicity  is 
the  perfection  of  composition. 

6.  Similes  and  allegories,  if  well  worked  out,  are  very 
valuable  accessories. 

7.  Appropriate  extracts  from  good  authors  are  highly 
effective.  Brougham  says  that  the  power  of  happy  quo- 
tation is  a  talent  second  only  to  that  of  invention. 

8.  Try  to  cultivate  a  love  of  reading  the  works  of 
standard  writers,  and  an  imitation  of  the  style  of  your 
favorites  will  naturally  follow. 


100  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

9.  Express  your  meaning  as  freely  as  possible.  Long 
periods  may  please  the  ear,  but  they  perplex  the  under- 
standing.    Therefore,  avoid  too  long  sentences. 

10.  Write  without  restraint,  but  not  hastily. 

11.  Try  to  acquire  the  habit  of  writing,  as  if  you  were 
speaking  deliberately  on  some  subject  of  which  you  are 
master. 

12.  Accustom  yourself  to  think  justly,  and  you  will 
not  be  at  a  loss  to  write  intelligibly. 

13.  Never  omit  a  careful  perusal  of  what  you  have 
written,  for  you  may  find  some  inaccuracies.  The  neglect 
of  this  rule  is  not  only  a  reflection  on  the  writer,  but  a 
rudeness  to  the  person  addressed. 

14.  Stick  to  your  text,  and  do  not  let  every  incidental 
thought  lead  you  on  to  a  digression. 


PART  V. 

ON  THE  STRUCTUKE  OF  THEMES. 


A  Theme  is  a  series  of  paragraphs  giving  a  complete 
exposition  of  the  whole  subject  of  which  a  number  of 
paragraphs  treat. 

Themes  may  be  divided  into  — 

1.  Themes  of  Narration. 

2.  "  "  Description. 

3.  "  "  Reflection. 

4.  "  "  Discursion. 

5.  "  "  Argumentation. 

directions  to  pupils. 

1.  When  you  cannot  derive  your  facts  from  personal 
observation,  read  some  authentic  account  of  them ;  and 
in  the  course  of  reading  fill  out  your  scheme, 

2.  Proceed  with  your  theme  by  the  help  of  your  filled- 
up  schemes,  never  making  use  of  your  booh  of  reference 
after  taking  your  first  notes. 

3.  Indicate  by  marginal  notes  on  your  scheme  those 
points  that  will  admit  of  enlargement  and  discussion. 

4.  A  theme  is  an  expansion  of  paragraphs  ;  therefore 
the  schemes  will  be  the  expanded  schemes  of  paragraphs. 


10.2 


ENGLJSH   COMPOSITION. 

I.  NARRATION. 

1.  Incidental  (incidents,  stories). 

2.  Historical  (history). 

3.  Biographical. 


LESSON  I. 

narration  (incident). 

SCHEME. 

1.  Time. 

2.  Object. 

3.  Place. 

4.  Event. 

5.  Manner. 

"Write  a  narration  of  The  Loss  of  the  Ville  du  Havre, 
taking  the  following  for  your  prepared  scheme,  expanded 
with  marginal  notes. 

The  Loss  of  the  Ville  du  Havre. 


SCHEME. 

1.  Time.     November,  1873. 

2.  Object.     The  Ville  du  Havre. 

3.  Place.     The  Atlantic  Ocean. 

4.  Event.     The  sinking  of  the 

Ville  du  Havre. 

5.  Manner.     A  collision   with 

the  Loch  Earn.  Steam- 
er sank  in  20  minutes. 
226  lives  lost.  87  persons 
saved. 


EXPANDED  NOTES. 

The  winter  coming  on.  The  dreari- 
ness of  the  time  of  year,  etc. 

Account  of  the  grandeur  of  the  ves- 
sel.    The  merry  parties  on  board. 

Sketch  of  the  vastness  and  dreariness. 


Graphic  account  of  the  rushing  to- 
gether of  these  sea-monsters  in  the 
fog.  The  screams  of  the  drown- 
ing. The  confusion.  The  bravery 
of  some.  The  fearful  end.  Give 
details  of  sinking  of  ship.  Picture 
the  sorrow  of  friends  at  home. 
The  anxiety  of  all  till  the  com- 
plete truth  was  known.  The  grati- 
tude of  those  saved. 


ON    THE   STRUCTURE   OF    THEMES.  103 


Cured  by  Laughter. 
SCHEME.  EXPANDED  NOTES. 

1.  Time.     A  short  time  since. 

2.  Persons.  John  Doe  and  Rich-    Say  who  John  Doe  and  Bicliard  Roe 

ard  Roe.  were. 

3.  Place.     Pittsburg.  Give  a  description  of  Pittsburg. 

4.  Event.     John    Doe  and  R. 

Roe  cured  by  laughter. 

5.  Manner.    Lying  ill  in  bed.    What  they  were  ill  of.     Why  he 

Night.       Watchman    fell        threw  pillow?   Show  how  laughter 
asleep.      John  Doe  threw        cured  them.     Draw  moral, 
pillow  at  him.     Knocked 
him  over.  Both  roared  with 
laughter.    Did  them  good. 

A  short  time  since  at  Pittsburg,  a  flourishing  city  of 
Pennsylvania,  John  Doe,  a  respectable  grocer,  and  Richard 
Roe,  a  well-to-do  farmer,  were  lying  in  one  room,  very  sick, 
one  with  brain-fever,  and  the  other  with  an  aggravated  case 
of  the  mumps.  They  were  so  low  that  watchers  were  needed 
every  night,  and  it  was  thought  doubtful  if  the  one  sick  of 
fever  would  recover.  A  gentleman  was  engaged  to  watch 
over  night,  his  duty  being  to  wake  up  the  nurse  whenever  it 
became  necessary  to  administer  medicine. 

In  the  course  of  the  night  both  watcher  and  nurse  fell 
asleep.  The  man  with  the  mumps  lay  watching  the  clock, 
and  saw  that  it  was  time  to  give  the  fever  patient  his  potion. 
He  was  unable  to  speak  aloud,  or  to  move  any  portion  of  his 
body  except  his  arms  ;  but,  seizing  a  pillow,  he  managed  to 
strike  the  watcher  in  the  face  with  it.  Thus  suddenly 
awakened,  the  wTatcher  sprang  from  his  seat,  falling  to  the 
floor,  and  awakened  both  the  nurse  and  fever  patient. 

The  incident  struck  the  sick  men  as  very  ludicrous,  and 
they  laughed  heartily  at  it  for  some  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes. 
When  the  doctor  came  in  the  morning  he  found  his  patients 
vastly  improved.     He  never  knew  so  sudden  a  turn  for  the 


104 


ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


better  ;  and  now  both,  are  up  and  well.     Thus  a  hearty  laugh 
often  does  us  more  good  than  a  bottle  of  physic. 


LESSON   II. 

NARRATION  (story). 

Write  a  narration  of  The  Fate  of  Ginevra,  taking  the 
following  for  your  filled-up  scheme  : 

The  Fate  of  Ginevra. 


SCHEME. 

1.  Time.     A  long  time  ago. 

2.  Person.    Ginevra. 


Place.    A  palace  near   the 
Reggio  Gate. 


4.  Event.    The  fate  of  Ginevra. 

5.  Manner.     Ginevra  about  to 

marry  Francesco  Doria. 
Wedding-day.  Ginevra 
hides  in  sport.  They  can- 
not find  her.  She  never 
returns.  Francesco  joins 
the  Venetians  in  their  war 
with  Turkey,  and  is  slain. 
Fifty  years  after  some  vis- 
itors open  the  lid  of  an  old 
chest  and  find  the  skeleton 
of  Ginevra.  Had  hid  in 
sport,  and  found  a  grave. 


EXPANDED  NOTES. 

Give  a  description  of  her.  Young, 
beautiful,  full  of  gayety.  Dressed 
in  bridal  costume.  The  daughter 
of  Donati. 

Give  description  of  palace.  Noble 
chambers,  paintings,  carvings,  heir- 
looms, cabinets,  velvet  curtains, 
gardens,  statues,  cypresses. 

Picture  the  beauty  of  the  bride,  the 
magnificence  of  her  dress,  and  the 
happiness  of  Francesco  Doria,  a 
brave  young  noble.  Give  a  sketch 
of  the  gay  festival  on  the  wedding- 
day.  Her  mirth  when  she  hides. 
The  consternation  of  the  guests 
when  they  cannot  find  her.  Fran- 
cesco's despair.  Donati's  grief. 
What  war.  Depict  the  shadowed 
life  and  reckless  death  of  young 
Francesco.  Describe  a  merry  par- 
ty of  visitors.  The  glee  with 
which  they  discovered  the  old 
chest.  Their  horror  when  they 
found  what  was  in  it.  The  skele- 
ton. The  pearl,  the  emerald,  the 
golden  clasp  with  the  name  of 
"Ginevra"  engraved  on  it. 


ON    THE   STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES. 


105 


LESSON   III. 

Narrate  the  story  of  James  Fairbum  being  lost  in  the 
Stalactite  Cavern,  taking  the  following  for  your  prepared 
scheme : 


SCHEME. 

1.  Time.     Christmas,  1872. 


2.  Person.     James  Fairbum. 

3.  Place.    The  Stalactite  Cav- 

ern at  Matlock. 


NOTES  EXPANDED. 

Depict  the  festivity  of  Christmas 
time,  and  the  appearance  of  the 
ground  covered  with  snow. 

Son  of  a  rich  farmer  in  Derbyshire, 
England. 

Wonderful  cavern  extending  six  hun- 
dred feet  under  ground.  Entered 
by  a  low  chasm.  Stream  running 
through  it.  Seventy  feet  high. 
Huge  columns  of  rocks.  Like  a 
vast  cavern  of  ice  tipped  with  gold. 
Dark.    Terribly  gloomy. 


Event.  James  Fairbum  be- 
ing lost  in  the  Stalactite 
Cavern. 

Manner.  James  Fairbum 
going  to  visit  his  father,  to 
spend  Christmas,  drops 
through  a  chasm  down  a 
slanting  rock  into  the  Sta- 
lactite Cavern.  Calls  for 
help  in  vain.  Night  passes, 
and  no  help.  Seeks  egress ; 
can  find  none.  Gives  him- 
self up  to  despair.  Hears 
a  dog  in  the  stream.  Calls 
him.  Too  faint  to  move. 
Ties  handkerchief  round 
the  dog's  neck.     The  dog 


goes  away.    Kescued. 


Give  a  fanciful  description  of  the  ap- 
pearance of  James  Fairburn  and 
of  his  anxiety  to  be  home  Christ- 
mas day.  Describe  his  dropping 
through  the  chasm  in  trying  to 
take  a  near  road  over  a  field.  His 
striking  his  solitary  match  and  dis- 
covering where  he  is.  His  hor- 
ror. His  efforts  to  get  out.  His 
delight  at  hearing  the  dog.  His 
calling  it.  His  terrible  faintness. 
His  anxiety  when  the  dog  leaves 
him.  The  joy  of  his  friends  at 
finding  him. 


106 


ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


LESSON    IV. 

Narrate  the  story  of  Ellen's  Secret,  taking  the  follow- 
ing for  your  prepared  scheme  : 

Ellen's  Secret. 


SCHEME. 

1.  Time.    June,  1872. 

2.  Person.    Donald  Blane. 


3.  Place.    Benzonia,  Michigan. 


4.  Event.    Ellen's  Secret. 

5.  Manner.    Dorothy  and  Don- 

ald Blane  very  poor. 
Death  of  Dorothy's  broth- 
er, William  Blane,  of  De- 
troit. Large  property  re- 
verts to  Dorothy  by  will. 
Ellen  Moore,  an  orphan, 
whom  William  Blane  had 
adopted,  comes  to  live 
with  Dorothy  and  Donald. 
Dorothy  is  severe  with 
her;  Donald  loves  her. 
Dorothy  and  Donald  quar- 
rel in  consequence  of  his 
affection  for  Ellen.  Ellen 
bears  all  in  patience.  Don- 
ald leaves  home.  Dorothy 
taken  ill.  Thinks  she  is 
dying,  and  sends  for  her. 


EXPANDED  NOTES. 

Describe  the  beauty  of  summer. 

Describe  the  family  of  the  Blanes. 
Great  respectability.  Father  a 
minister.  Died.  Donald  Blane, 
an  orphan,  brought  up  by  Dorothy 
Blane,  an  aunt.  Describe  Donald 
Blane. 

Describe  Benzonia.  Romantic  ra- 
vine. Beautiful  Lake.  Pictu- 
resque river.  Rugged  cliffs.  No- 
ble woods.  Describe  Blane's 
house.  Pretty  cottage.  Well-cul- 
tivated yard.  Fruit-trees.  Flow- 
ers. 

Describe  genteel  poverty.  Surprise 
of  Dorothy  and  William.  Altered 
circumstances.  Comfort  of  wealth. 
Dorothy  proud  and  overbearing. 
Donald  free  and  generous.  De- 
scribe Ellen  Moore.  Describe  the 
circumstances  of  the  adoption. 
Her  father  dying  and  leaving  her 
to  his  friend  William  Blane.  Don- 
ald's growing  love.  Dorothy's  pet- 
ty daily  persecutions  of  Ellen. 
Donald's  grief.  His  anxiety  to  spare 
her  pain.  Describe  Donald's  indig- 
nation at  his  aunt's  treatment  of 
Ellen.  Ellen's  gentleness  and  pa- 
tience. Donald's  departure.  Doro- 
thy's illness.  Ellen's  attention  to 
her.  Describe  Dorothy's  repent- 
ance.   The  j  oy  of  the  wedding-day. 


ON    THE   STRUCTURE   OF    THEMES. 


107 


The  aunt  consents  to  the 
union  of  Donald  and  El- 
len. Marriage-day.  After 
marriage  Ellen  shows  a 
will  of  William  Blane, 
dated  after  the  one  by 
which  Dorothy  succeeded 
to  the  property,  which 
leaves  the  whole  of  it  to 
her,  and  which  she  was 
too  proud  to  bring  forward 
before  her  marriage. 


The  festivities.  The  marriage.  De- 
scribe the  circumstances  of  Ellen's 
production  of  the  will.  The  sur- 
prise and  gratitude  of  Dorothy  and 
Donald.  Bring  in  the  climax  of 
the  secret. 


LESSON   V. 

narration  (historical). 
Write  a  narration  of  The  Adventure  of  Ponce  de  Leon, 
taking  the  following  for  the  filled-up  scheme : 

The  Adventure  of  Ponce  de  Leon. 

EXPANDED  NOTES. 

Describe  the  condition  of  Spain  at 
this  period.     Who  was  king  ? 

Who  was  Ponce  de  Leon  ? 

Why  called  Florida?  Give  a  de- 
scription of  the  country  and  its 
position. 


SCHEME. 

1.  Time.    1512. 

2.  Person.    Ponce  de  Leon. 

3.  Place.     Florida. 


4.  Event.     The    adventure    of 

Ponce  de  Leon. 

5.  Manner.     De  Leon  hears  of 

Indian  legend  about  a  foun- 
tain which  had  the  power 
of  keeping  one  forever 
young.  Resolves  to  seek 
it.  Reaches  a  land  of  flow- 
ers. Tries  to  take  posses- 
sion. Driven  off  by  In- 
dians. Wounded.  Dies. 
Earliest  discovery  of  what 
is  now  called  the  United 
States. 


Describe  the  effect  of  such  a  narra- 
tive on  the  superstitious  spirit  of 
the  young  noble.     The  growth  of 

.  his  curiosity.  His  difficulties  in 
preparing  an  expedition.  The 
troubles  he  met  with.  The  beauty 
of  the  Florida  forests.  The  fights 
with  the  Indians.  His  wound. 
How  he  daily  expected  to  come  to 
the  Fountain  of  Life.  The  pangs 
of  his  death.  The  greatness  and 
prosperity  of  the  United  States. 


108 


ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


LESSON   VI. 


HISTORY. 


Narrate  the  story  of  The  Coming  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers, 
taking  the  following  for  your  nlled-up  scheme  : 


The  Coming  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers. 


SCHEME. 

1.  Time.    1620. 


2.  Persons.    The   Pilgrim  Fa- 
thers. 


3.  Place.    Massachusetts. 


Event.  The  coming  of  the 
Pilgrim  Fathers. 

Manner.  How  they  sailed 
across  the  Atlantic  in  the 
Mayflower.  Drew  up  codes 
of  laws.  Landed  at  Plym- 
outh. Winter.  Indian 
chief  sent  a  rattlesnake- 
skin  wrapped  round  a  bun- 
dle of  arrows.  Governor 
Bradford  returned  it  filled 
with  powder  and  bullets. 
Frightened  the  Indians. 
Cleared  the  wood.  Raised 
crops. 


EXPANDED  NOTES. 

Describe  the  state  of  America  at  this 
period.  The  appearance  of  the 
country. 

Who  were  they?  Why  were  they 
called  Puritans?  Why  did  they 
leave  England?  Describe  their 
characters  and  manners. 

Describe  the  appearance  of  the  coun- 
try. Its  wildness.  Its  inhabitants. 
Its  apparent  unfitness  for  settle- 
ment. 


Describe  the  terrors  of  the  voyage. 
The  anxiety  of  the  adventurers  to 
reach  land.  Their  fear  of  the  In- 
dians. The  wildness  of  the  coun- 
try. Describe  the  consternation 
of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  when  they 
received  the  Indian  message.  Ex- 
plain what  it  all  meant.  Describe 
the  different  aspect  of  the  coun- 
try after  the  settlement  had  been- 
made. 


X 


ON   THE   STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES. 

LESSON   VII. 

HISTORY. 


109 


Narrate  the  account  of  The  Conquest  of  Mexico  by  Cortez, 
taking  the  following  for  your  filled-up  scheme  : 

The  Conquest  of  Mexico  by  Cortez. 


SCHEME. 

1.  Time.    1519. 

2.  Person.    Fernando  Cortez. 

3.  Place.    Mexico. 


EXPANDED  NOTES. 

Who  was  he  ?  What  was  his  char- 
acter ?    Give  a  brief  sketch  of  him. 

Give  a  description  of  the  country. 
Who  were  the  Aztecs  ?  Who  was 
Montezuma  ? 


4.  Event.   The  conquest  of  Mex- 

ico by  Fernando  Cortez. 

5.  Manner.    Cortez    fitted   up 

an  expedition.  Burnt  his 
ships.  Conquered  the  peo- 
ple. Made  slaves  of  the 
natives. 


Describe  the  setting  forth  of  the  ex- 
pedition. How  were  the  Span- 
iards dressed?  What  arms  had 
they  ?  Why  did  Cortez  burn  the 
ships  ?  Describe  the  sufferings  of 
the  Aztecs,  and  the  cruelties  of  the 
Spaniards.  Show  how  it  was  not 
by  such  men  as  these  that  a  great 
nation  should  be  founded. 


LESSON   VIII. 

Narrate  the  account  of  Be  Soto's  Discovery  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, drawing  up  your  scheme  and  expanding  it,  as  in 
Lesson  VII. 


110  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


LESSON    IX. 


Narrate  the  account  of  any  Indian  massacre  you  may 
have  read  of,  drawing  up  your  scheme  and  expanding  it, 
as  in  Lesson  VIII. 


LESSON   X. 

Narrate  the  account  of  any  great  battle  you  may  have 
read  of,  drawing  up  your  scheme  and  expanding  it,  as  in 
Lesson  VIII. 


LESSON   XL 

Narrate  the  history  of  the  Growth  of  Virginia,  drawing 
up  your  scheme  and  expanding  it,  as  in  Lesson  VIII. 


LESSON    XII. 
narration  (biography). 

SCHEME. 

1.  Birth.  (PtKJU 

2.  Education. 

3.  Pursuits. 

4.  Moral  character. 

5.  What  distinguished  him. 

6.  When,  where,  and  how  he  died. 

Narrate  the  Life  of  Washington  Irving,  taking  the  fol- 
lowing for  your  filled-up  scheme : 


ON    THE   STRUCTURE   OP    THEMES. 


Ill 


1.  Birth. 


SCHEME. 

April  3,  1783. 


2.  Education.    During  boyhood 

meagre.     Self-cultured. 

3.  Pursuits.     Literary. 


4.  Moral  Character.      Gentle, 

unassuming,  vivacious. 

5.  What     distinguished     him. 

His  writings. 


6.  When,  where,  and  how  he 
died. 


Washington  Irving. 

EXPANDED  NOTES. 

New  York.  His  father  died  during 
Washington  Irving's  boyhood. 

His  brothers  had  the  superintend- 
ence of  his  education. 

Journalist  and  reviewer.  Wrote  for 
the  "  Morning  Chronicle."  Some 
account  of  journalism  at  that  time. 

Give  some  anecdote  in  illustration  of 
his  possession  of  these  qualities. 

Humorous  "  History  of  New  York." 
Tell  all  you  know  about  it.  "  The 
Sketch  Book. "  Give  some  idea  of 
its  contents.  "  Bracebridge  Hall." 
Relate  briefly  its  plot,  and  com- 
ment on  its  character.  "  History 
of  the  Life  and  Voyages  of  Chris- 
topher Columbus."  "  The  Alham- 
bra/'  Give  some  idea  of  its  con- 
tents. "Life  of  Washington." 
Make  some  remarks  on  his  style. 
Easy,  pure,  and  graceful,  and  re- 
markable for  distinct  and  delicate 
word-painting. 


lesson  xni. 

Narrate  the  Life  of  Pythagoras,  taking  the  following 
for  your  nlled-up  scheme: 

Pythagoras. 


SCHEME. 

Birth.    B.  c.  500. 

Education.      Travelled 
search  of  information. 


EXPANDED  NOTES. 

At  Sidon,  in  Syria.    His  father  was 

a  merchant  at  Samos. 
From  18  years  of  age  he  travelled 

in  search  of  knowledge,  visiting 

Greece,  Asia    Minor,   Italy,   and 

Egypt. 


112 


ENGLISH    COMPOSITION. 


3.  Pursuits.    Philosophy. 


4.   What     distinguished     him. 
His  teachings. 


When,  where,  and  how  he 
died. 


At  Croton  he  established  in  his  own 
house  a  college.  He  taught  his 
disciples  mysteries  in  hieroglyph- 
ics and  symbols. 

By  his  wisdom  he  delivered  several 
cities  from  the  yoke  of  slavery, 
He  made  wonderful  discoveries  in 
religion,  mathematics,  and  politi- 
cal economy.  When  he  found  out 
the  great  truth  in  geometry,  that 
"the  square  of  the  longest  side  of 
a  right-angled  triangle  is  equal  to 
both  the  squares  of  the  other  two 
sides,"  it  is  said  that  in  his  grati- 
tude he  offered  to  the  gods  a  heca- 
tomb, or  the  sacrifice  of  a  hun- 
dred oxen.  Pythagoras  and  his 
followers  believed  in  the  transmi- 
gration of  souls  from  one  body  to 
another  ;  on  which  account  they 
abstained  from  eating  flesh,  and 
lived  altogether  on  vegetables. 

Phalaris,  the  tyrant  of  Sicily,  ordered 
the  death  of  Pythagoras,  but  was 
himself  murdered  by  the  revolu- 
tionary citizens  on  the  very  day 
that  he  had  appointed  for  the  exe- 
cution of  the  philosopher.  The 
fate  of  Pythagoras  is  involved  in 
obscurity.  Some  say  that  he  was 
killed  in  a  tumult ;  others  that  he 
died  a  natural  death  at  the  age  of 
ninety. 


LESSON    XIV. 

Narrate  trie  history  of  the  Life  of  Napoleon  III.,  hav- 
ing prepared  your  scheme  and  expanded  it,  as  in  Lesson 
XII. 


•  ON   THE   STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES.  113 


LESSON    XV. 


Narrate  the  history  of  the  Life  of  Abraham  Lincoln, 
having  prepared  your  scheme  and  expanded  it,  as  in  Les- 
son XII. 


LESSON    XVI. 

Narrate  the  history  of  the  Life  of  the  Most  Distin- 
guished Individual  you  can  think  of  in  your  own  State. 


II.    DESCRIPTION. 

The  Descriptive  Theme  may  be  regarded  as  the  ex- 
pansion of  the  Descriptive  Paragraph.  The  subjects  of 
Descriptive  Themes  are : 

1.  Individual  Objects. 

2.  Class  Objects. 

3.  Moral  Qualities. 

The  Schemes  are  the  same  as  those  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  Paragraphs. 

Individual  Objects. 

SCHEME. 

1.  Species. 

2.  Properties  (position,  use,  size,  shape,  etc.). 

3.  Parts. 


114 


ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


LESSON  XVII. 


INDIVIDUAL    OBJECTS. 


Describe  The  Tower  of  London,  using  the  following 
filled-up  scheme: 


SCHEME. 

1.  The  Species.    A  citadel. 


2.  Its  Properties. 
the  Thames, 
of  stone. 


Situated    on 
Size.     Built 


Its  Parts.  Chapel.  Towers. 
Jewel  House.  Dungeons. 
Castellated  walls.  Armory. 
Moat.    Drawbridge. 


EXPANDED  NOTES. 

Mention  some  other  citadels  of 
note. 

What  was  it  built  for  ?  Say  some- 
thing about  the  Thames.  Com- 
pare its  present  surroundings 
of  commerce  with  the  romantic 
times  of  the  Middle  Ages. 

Towers.  Beauchamp  Tower,  fa- 
mous for  the  imprisonment  of 
Anne  Boleyn.  Give  some  sketch 
of  her  trials.  Brick  Tower 
where  Lady  Jane  Grey  was  kept. 
Bloody  Tower,  where  the  princes 
were  murdered  by  Richard  III. 
Lion  Tower,  where  the  lions 
were  kept.  The  Horse  Armory 
consists  of  full-sized  effigies  of 
mounted  men  in  armor  of  every 
age  of  chivalry,  and  was  built 
by  Sir  S.  Meyrick.  The  Jewel 
House  contains  the  royal  jewels, 
— one  diamond  there  being  worth 
ten  million  dollars. 


LESSON  XVIII. 

Describe  St  Peter's,  at  Borne,  preparing  your  scheme 
and  expanding  it,  as  in  Lesson  XVII. 


ON   THE   STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES.  115 

LESSON"    XIX. 

Describe  The  Falls  of  Niagara,  preparing  your  scheme 
and  expanding  it,  as  in  Lesson  XVII. 


LESSON    XX. 

Describe    Pilgrim  Hall,    Plymouth,    preparing    your 
scheme  and  expanding  it,  as  in  Lesson  XVII. 


LESSON   XXI. 

Describe  The  Mammoth  Cave  of  Kentucky,  preparing 
your  scheme,  and  expanding  it,  as  in  Lesson  XVII. 


Class  Objects. 

SCHEME. 

1.  Species. 

a.  Genus. 

b.  Difference. 

2.  Properties. 

3.  Parts. 

4.  Kinds. 


LESSON    XXII. 

Describe  a  camera  obscura,  taking  the  following  for 
your  prepared  scheme : 


116 


ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


A  Camera. 


SCHEME. 

1.  The  Species.      Optical  instru- 

ments, a.  Genus,  b.  Diff- 
ence.  Takes  images  of  ex- 
ternal things. 

2.  Properties.     Reflects  inverted 

image.  Used  for  photog- 
raphy.    Size  various. 

3.  Parts.     Ground  glass.    Cham- 

bers.   Lens. 

4.  Kinds.    Portable.    Stationary. 

Stereoscopic.  Microscopic. 
Magnifying. 


EXPANDED  NOTES. 

Say  something  about  its  discovery. 


Give  a  brief  sketch  of  the  invention 
and  use  of  photography. 

Show  how  the  images  are  rendered 
permanent  by  chemicals.  Ex- 
plain the  method. 

Point  out  how  the  increasing  use 
of  these  valuable  instruments  is 
encouraging  their  perfection. 


LESSON  XXIII. 

Describe  an  electric  battery,  preparing  and  expanding 
your  scheme,  as  in  Lesson  XXII. 


LESSON  XXIV. 

Describe  a  telegraphic  apparatus,  preparing   and  ex- 
panding your  scheme,  as  in  Lesson  XXII. 


LESSON  XXV. 

Describe   a  printing-press,  preparing  and   expanding 
your  scheme,  as  in  Lesson  XXII. 


ON   THE   STRUCTURE    OF    THEMES.  117 


LESSON  XXVI. 

Describe   an  organ,  preparing  and   expanding  your 
scheme,  as  in  Lesson  XXII. 


LESSON  XXVII. 

Describe    a   steam-packet,   preparing    and    expanding 
your  scheme,  as  in  Lesson  XXII. 


Moral  Qualities. 

SCHEME. 

1.  Definition. 

a.  Genus. 

b.  Difference. 

2.  Effect  on  Society. 

3.  Effect  on  Self. 

4.  Moral. 


LESSON  XXVIH. 

Describe  Intemperance,  taking  the  following  for  your 

prepared  scheme  : 

Intemperance. 

SCHEME.  EXPANDED  NOTES. 

1.  Genus.    Social  vice.  Draw  contrast  between  the  intem- 

perate man  and  the  sober  man. 

2.  Difference.     Is  caused  by  the    Give  some  proof  of  this  by  exam- 

use  of  strong  drinks.  pie  and   quotations,  and  show 

that  the  use  of  strong  drinks  is 
dangerous. 


118 


ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


3.  Effect  on  self.    It  makes  a  man 

a  slave.  It  ruins  his  mental 
and  physical  constitutions. 
Makes  him  the  easy  prey 
to  other  vices.  Deadens  his 
good  qualities.  Causes  him 
to  lose  his  self-respect.  Is 
his  curse.  Total  debasement 
and  prostration. 

4.  Effect  on    Society.     Bad   ex- 

ample. Makes  men  shun 
him.  Contempt.  Loss  of 
confidence.  Sorrow  on  fam- 
ily. Innocent  suffer  for  the 
guilty. 


Show  by  example  that  the  habit 
of  excess  in  drinking  does  en- 
slave a  man.  Show  how  it  de- 
stroys his  mental  and  physical 
qualities.  Give  medical  opinion 
to  prove  that  it  ruins  his  body. 
Quote  instances  to  show  that  it 
drives  him  to  commit  other 
crimes. 

Draw  a  sketch  of  an  imaginary 
drunkard,  and  picture  the  trou- 
ble he  brings  upon  his  wife  and 
children. 


LESSON  XXIX. 

Describe   barbarism,  preparing   and  expanding  your 
scheme,  as  in  Lesson  XXVIIL 


LESSON  XXX. 

Describe  imagination,  preparing  and  expanding  your 
scheme,  as  in  Lesson  XXVIIL 


LESSON  XXXI. 


Describe    revenge,    preparing 
scheme,  as  in  Lesson  XXVIIL 


and    expanding    your 


ON   THE   STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES.  119 

III   REFLECTION. 

Reflective  Themes,  like  Keflective  Paragraphs,  are 
those**  that  call,  upon  our  thoughts  and  emotions  for 
expression.  Keflective  Themes  may  be  classified  under 
five  headings  : 

1.  Individual  Objects. 

2.  Class  Objects. 

3.  Events. 

4.  Abstract  Qualities. 

5.  The  Characters  of  Persons. 

"We  shall  apply  one  scheme  to  Individual  and  Class 
Objects,  another  to  Events  and  Abstract  Qualities,  and  a 
third  to  The  Characters  of  Persons. 

reflection  {Individual  Objects  and  Class  Objects). 

SCHEME. 

1.  The  Feelings. 

a.  Sad. 

b.  Pleasant. 

2.  The  Qualities. 

a.  Beauty  or  Deformity. 

b.  Utility  or  Inutility. 
Suggest; 

4.  Simile. 


LESSON  XXXII. 

individual  object. 
"Write  a  reflection  on  The  Pyramids  of  Egypt 


120  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


LESSON  XXXHI. 

CLASS   OBJECT. 
SCHEME. 

1.  The  Feelings. 

2.  The  Qualities. 

a.  Beauty  or  Deformity. 

b.  Utility  or  Inutility. 

3.  Origin. 

4.  Simile. 

Write  a  reflective  theme  on  A  Watch,  taking  the  fol- 
lowing for  your  prepared  and  expanded  scheme : 

SCHEME.  EXPANDED  NOTES. 

1.  The  Feelings.    Interest.   Won-    Reflect  on  the  discovery  and  per- 

der.  fection  of  horology.      Mention 

the  sun-dial.  The  sand-cup. 
Any  other  means  of  measuring 
time  you  may  have  read  of. 

2.  The  Qualities,    a.  Beauty  or    Reflect  on  some  famous  clock,  such 

deformity.      Great    beauty.        as  the  great  clock  at  Strasburg. 

Intricacy.    Evenness.     Mar-        Reflect  on  the  evenness  and  deli- 

vellous  adjustment,    b.  Util-        cacy  of  the  works.     Name  all 

ity  or  inutility.    Useful.  the  occupations  you  can  think 

of  where  the  use  of  the  watch 

is   important.     Speculate  as  to 

what  we  should  have  done  had 

we  never  discovered  the  watch. 

3.  Origin. 

4.  Suggestion, 


LESSON  XXXIV. 

Write  a  reflection  on  a  balloon,  preparing  and  expand- 
ing your  scheme,  as  in  Lesson  XXXIIL 


ON   THE   STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES.  121 

LESSON  XXXV. 

Write  a  reflection  on  a  photograph,  preparing  and  ex- 
panding your  scheme,  as  in  Lesson  XXXIII. 


LESSON  XXXVI. 

"Write  a  reflection  on  a  sewing-machine,  preparing  and 
expanding  your  scheme,  as  in  Lesson  XXXIII. 

EVENTS   AND   ABSTRACT   QUALITIES. 
SCHEME. 

1.  Origin. 

2.  Result  to  self. 

3.  Result  to  the  world. 

4.  The  Feelings. 

5.  Moral  Deductions. 

6.  Illustration  hy  simile. 


LESSON  XXXVII. 

Write  a  reflection  on  The  Burning  of  Moscow,  taking 
the  following  as  your  prepared  and  expanded  scheme  : 

SCHEME.  EXPANDED  NOTES. 

1.  Cause.    The  approach  of  Na-    Reflect  on  the  ambitious  character 
poleon  I.  of  Napoleon.     The  march  of  his 

army  into  Russia.  The  trepida- 
tion of  the  invaded  people.  The 
boldness  of  the  resolve  to  burn 
the  city  rather  than  it  should 
fall  into  the  hands  of  the  con- 


122 


ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


2.  Result  to  self.  Saved  the  Rus- 
sians from  the  advance  of 
the  French. 


3.  Result  to  the  world.  Sym- 
pathy for  Russia.  Delight 
at  the  check  of  an  autocrat. 
'Adjustment  of  the  balance 
of  power  of  Europe. 


queror.  The  dismay  of  Napo- 
leon. His  retreat  from  starva- 
tion. The  death  of  his  soldiers 
on  the  roadside.  His  desertion 
of  his  followers.  His  appear- 
ance in  Paris. 

Reflect  on  the  heroism  of  the  Rus- 
sians. The  terrible  sufferings 
they  endured.  Their  savage  ex- 
ultation as  they  saw  their  enemy 
repulsed. 

Review  briefly  the  progress  Russia 
has  made  since  this  time.  Show 
how  by  this  retreat  Napoleon 
lost  the  prestige  of  his  name  as 
a  military  tactician.  Reflect  on 
the  evil  of  seeking  to  conquer 
for  the  sake  of  conquest. 


LESSON  XXXVIII. 

Write  a  reflective  theme  on  The  Assassination  of  Abra- 
ham Lincoln,  preparing  and  expanding  your  scheme,  as 
in  Lesson  XXXVII. 


LESSON  XXXIX. 

Write  a  reflection  on  The  Laying  of  the  Atlantic  Cable, 
preparing  and  expanding  your  scheme,  as  in  Lesson 
XXXVII. 


LESSON  XL. 

Write  a  reflection  on  The  Abolition  of  Slavery,  prepar- 
ing and  expanding  your  scheme,  as  in  Lesson  XXXVII. 


ON   THE   STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES. 


123 


LESSON  XLI. 


ABSTRACT   QUALITY. 


Write  a  reflection  on  Common  Sense,  taking  the  follow- 
ing for  your  prepared  and  expanded  scheme  : 


Common  Sense. 


SCHEME. 

1.  Origin.  A  well-balanced  mind. 


2.  Result  to  self.  It  makes  a 
man  reliant  on  self.  Gives 
him  a  proper  appreciation 
of  the  ways  of  the  world. 


3.  Result  to  the  world.  The 
world  is  richer.  Men  have 
confidence  in  the  man  of 
common  sense. 


4.  The    feelings. 
Envy. 


Admiration. 


EXPANDED  NOTES. 

Reflect  on  the  education  of  a  man 
that  shall  make  him  real  or  ideal 
in  his  views. 

Reflect  on  the  absurdity  of  a  roman- 
tic view  of  life.  On  the  suffering 
produced  by  flightiness  of  judg- 
ment. On  the  necessity  of 
weighing  things  justly  in  the 
scale  of  right  and  wrong.  On 
the  grand  power  the  man  holds 
who  possesses  common  sense. 
On  his  certain  success.  On  his 
improved  character  and  juster 
view  of  life.  On  his  moderated 
passions.  On  his  higher  quali- 
fication for  the  acceptance  of 
religion.  Give  an  example  of 
all  this. 

Reflect  how  railroads  have  been 
made,  the  telegraph  has  been 
perfected,  the  ocean  navigated, 
the  printing-press  invented,  and 
a  thousand  useful  arts  accomp- 
lished by  common  sense.  Men 
are  made  happier  by  having  a 
man  of  common  sense  living  in 
the  midst  of  them. 

Minds  otherwise  constituted  some- 
times shrink  from  the  superior 
judgments  of  common  sense,  but 


124 


ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


Moral  deduction.  We  should 
train  our  minds  to  habits  of 
judgment.  We  should  show 
respect  to  the  decisions  of 
common  sense. 

Illustration  by  simile.  The 
man  who  has  common  sense 
holds  the  philosopher's  stone. 


in  the  end  are  sure  to  be  con- 
vinced. We  bow  to  the  opinion 
of  the  man  who  possesses  it. 
We  court  his  advice.  We  value 
his  friendship. 
Reflect  on  the  misery  of  those 
who  refuse  to  listen  to  its  dic- 
tates. 


He  who  has  no  common  sense  is 
like  a  man  walking  through  life 
on  stilts,  who  stare's  above  every 
one's  head,  and  cannot  see  a 
thing  lying  at  his  feet. 


IV.   ARGUMENTATIVE   THEMES. 

Argumentative  Themes  are  the  most  difficult,  and 
the  most  important  of  all  compositions. 

They  require  the  use  of  great  care  and  the  exercise  of 
much  judgment  in  their  compilation. 

It  is  necessary  that  the  student  should  make  himself 
thoroughly  the  master  of  the  subject  he  takes  in  hand. 

The  following  scheme  will  be  found  practicable  : 


Explanation. 
Proposition. 
Proof. 

a.  Possibility. 

b.  Probability. 

c.  Testimony. 

d.  Example. 

e.  Analogy. 


ON   THE   STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES. 


125 


4.  Kefutation. 

5.  Appeal  to  the  feelings. 

6.  Summary. 


LESSON  XLII. 

Prove  that  Oratory  owes  more  to  Education  than  to 
Nature,  taking  the  following  for  your  prepared  and  ex- 
panded scheme  : 

Oratory  owes  more  to  Education  than  to  Nature. 


SCHEME. 

1.  Explanation.  Oratory  is  not 
always  a  natural  gift';  there 
may  be  cases  exceptional  to 
the  rule,  but  generally  it  is 
a  mechanical  art  cultivated 
by  education. 


EXPANDED  NOTES. 

Point  out  the  difference  between 
oratory  and  eloquence.  Elo- 
quence is  the  natural  expression 
of  the  emotions  of  the  heart. 
Oratory  is  the  artificial  cultiva- 
tions of  rhetorical  rules.  A 
woman  pleading  for  the  life  of 
a  babe  who  has  been  torn  from 
her  is  naturally  eloquent,  be- 
cause she  expresses  the  natural 
emotions  of  her  maternal  tender- 
ness; but  a  barrister  pleading 
uses  the  forms  of  a  studied  but 
artificial  oratory.  A  wounded 
deer  pleads  with  a  look  for  pity, 
but  it  would  be  absurd  to  call 
this  look  oratory.  Eloquence 
may  be  expressed  by  a  gesture 
or  a  look ;  oratory  must  be  ex- 
pressed in  words.  Therefore, 
oratory  must  be  the  artificial 
product  of  education,  not  the 
natural  prompting  of  the  mind. 
Education  may  be  external  or  un- 
conscious.    It  maybe  acquired 


126 


ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


2.  Proposition.       Oratory     owes 

more  to  education  than  to 
nature. 

3.  Proof. 

a.  Possibility.  It  is  possible, 
because  men  of  the  highest 
natural  talent  have  found 
it  difficult  to  express  them- 
selves orally. 

Refutation.  But  it  may  be 
objected  that  if  such  men 
were  trained,  they  would 
not  make  brilliant  orators. 

Answer.  Practice  in  public 
speaking  brings  confidence 
and  does  away  with  hesi- 
tation in  all  men. 

b.  Probability.  It  is  prob- 
able that  oratory  owes 
more  to  education  than  to 
nature;  because  flow  of 
words  comes  from  practice, 
the  voice  is  modulated  by 
the  rules  of  rhetoric,  and 
the  gesture  is  generally 
methodical. 

Refutation.  It  may  be  ob- 
jected that  Patrick  Henry 
was  born  an  orator.  Our 
argument  is  that  he  rather 
possessed  eloquence  than 
oratory.  His  words  were 
poured  straight  from  the 
heart,  and  were  unembel- 
lished  by  the  aid  of  trope 
and  cadence. 


by  study  and  attention  to  rules, 
or  it  may  be  imbibed  by  the  ex- 
ercise of  habits  of  observation. 


Give    instances,  —  John     Stuart 
Mill,  Wilkie  Collins,  Tennyson. 


Demosthenes  was  a  wonderful  in- 
stance of  this.  He  stammered 
in  his  speech,  was  troubled  with 
shortness  of  breath,  and  had  a 
weak  voice,  yet,  notwithstand- 
ing these  defects,  he  became,  by 
education  of  these  faulty  organs, 
the  most  powerful  orator  the 
world  ever  produced. 


The  exception  often  proves  the 
rule.  Some  men  untrained  have 
been  known  to  make  beautiful 
cabinets,  which  have  been  ex- 
hibited at  exhibitions  as  works 
of  art ;  but  it  would  be  just  as 
absurd  to  say  that  for  this  reason 
cabinet-making  was  a  natural 
gift,  as  to  say  that  oratory  is 
natural  because  Patrick  Henry 
was  an  orator  by  nature. 


ON    THE   STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES. 


127 


i  c.  Testimony.  George  Crabbe, 
one  of  England's  greatest 
authors,  says,  "  Oratory- 
is  an  imitative  art;  it  de- 
scribes what  is  felt  by 
another."  Dean  Swift 
says  oratory  is  to  a  great 
degree  mechanical,  and  in 
this  it  differs  from  har- 
mony. 

Refutation.  It  may  be  said 
that  these  men  were  de- 
ceived themselves,  or  that 
they  deceived  us. 

Answer.  Being  great  ora- 
tors, they  were  not  likely 
to  be  deceived;  they  had 
no  object  in  deceiving  us. 
The  remarks  were  made 
dispassionately,  not  in  the 
heat  of  debate. 

4.  Example.    Many  public  speak- 

ers who  are  trained  orators 
have  no  real  eloquence.  They 
have  to  prepare  their  dis- 
courses, digesting  their  mat- 
ter from  written  publications, 
and  if  called  upon  to  speak 
without  preparation,  would 
make  but  sorry  exhibitions 
of  themselves. 

5.  Appeal  to  the  Feelings.    Pic- 

ture the  strong,  healthy, 
sinewy  man,  who  had  never 
learned  to  dance,  attempting 
an  intricate  minuet.  With 
all  his  strength  and  natural 
activity  he  would  flounder 
awkwardly  through  his  steps. 
Then  portray  the  man  with 


Give  several  quotations.  Who 
was  George  Crabbe  ?  Who  was 
Dean  Swift  ?  What  is  harmony  ? 


Show  how  animus  or  object  is 
always  acknowledged  as  strong 
conclusive  evidence.  Give  an 
instance  of  a  man  being  sup- 
posed guilty  from  the  object  he 
had  in  commission  of  a  crime. 

This  proves  that  oratory  owes  more 
to  education  than  to  nature. 
Simile  of  the  rough  diamond. 
A  man  with  good  oratorical 
powers,  until  he  had  been 
trained,  is  like  the  rough  dia- 
mond before  it  has  been  in  the 
hand  of  the  lapidary. 


128  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

naturally  graceful  carriage 
and  powerful  voice  failing 
miserably  in  his  oratory  from 
his  lack  of  knowledge  of  the 
rules  of  the  art. 
6.  Summary.* 


LESSON  XLIII. 

Prove  that  Drunkenness  is  the  Ruin  of  Thousands,  pre- 
paring and  expanding  your  scheme,  as  in  Lesson  XLIL 


LESSON  XLIV. 

Prove  that  Compulsory  Education  is  good  for  the  State, 
preparing  and  expanding  your  scheme,  as  in  Lesson 
XLIL 


LESSON  XLV. 

Prove  that  Labor  is  the  Source  of  National  Prosperity, 
preparing  and  expanding  your  scheme,  as  in  Lesson 
XLIL 

V.   DISCURSIVE   THEMES. 

Themes  upon  subjects  that  cannot  be  properly  classi- 
fied in  any  of  the  preceding  divisions  may  be  termed 
Discursive  Themes. 

*  As  the  summary  is  the  recapitulation  of  the  principal  points  of 
the  scheme,  it  is  left  to  the  ingenuity  of  the  student. 


ON   THE   STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES.  129 

As  it  is  almost  impossible  to  make  one  scheme  applic- 
able to  all  essays  upon  discursive  theses,  the  student, 
qualified  by  exercise  in  the  previous  chapters,  will  do 
well  to  prepare  his  notes  and  expand  them  before  pro- 
ceeding to  his  treatment  of  the  subject  in  hand. 


LESSON  XL VI. 

Write  an  essay  on 

Honor  and  fame  from  no  condition  rise; 
Act  well  your  part,  there  all  the  honor  lies, 

taking   the  following  for.  your  scheme,  which  must  be 

expanded. 

Notes. 

1.  Explain  at  full  length  the  meaning  of  the  thesis. 

2.  Argue  in  favor  of  a  man  born  in  a  high  position  leaving  a 
bad  reputation  behind  him. 

3.  Give  instances  in  support  of  the  above  argument. 

4.  Argue  in  favor  of  a  man  born  in  a  low  position  attaining 
honor  and  eminence. 

5.  Give  instances  in  support  of  the  above  argument. 

6.  Argue  that  we  are  not  the  slaves  of  circumstances,  but  that 
circumstances  are  the  consequences  of  our  own  actions. 

7.  Give  extracts  from  any  authors  you  may  have  read  in  support 
of  your  arguments. 

8.  Draw  your  moral,  and  show  how  honor  and  fame  must  follow 
in  the  footsteps  of  all  good  actions,  and  how  bad  deeds  surely 
bring  with  them  dishonor  and  disgrace. 


LESSON  XLVII. 

Write  an  essay  on 

Wen  crosses  in  God's  sovereign  hand 
Are  blessings  in  disguise, 


130  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

taking  the  following  for  your  scheme,  which  must  be  ex- 
panded. 

1.  Adversity  is  described  in  the  Bible  as  the  salutary 
chastisement  of  an  all-wise  parent  who  wishes  to  reclaim 
his  child. 

2.  Adversity  yields  to  time. 

3.  On  recovering  its  first  shock,  we  begin  to  see  things  in 
their  true  light. 

4.  True  friends  are  distinguished  from  false  friends. 

5.  We  get  a  better  knowledge  of  our  own  weakness. 

6.  Reflection  and  vigilance  succeed  inattention  and  negli- 
gence. 

7.  We  find  out  the  vanity  of  the  world's  doings. 

8.  We  are  more  inclined  to  trust  in  God. 

9.  Our  hearts  are  chastened  and  our  minds  purified. 


LESSON  XLVIIL 

Write  an  essay  on 

Birds  of  a  feather  flock  together, 

taking  the  following  for  your  scheme,  which  must  be 
expanded. 

1.  Show  how  likely  it  is  that  persons  of  similar  tastes  will 
seek  each  other's  society. 

2.  How  liable  we  are  to  adopt  the  sentiments  of  those  that 
surround  us. 

3.  How  good  companions  lead  us  to  good  actions. 

4.  How  careful  we  should  be  in  our  choice  of  friends. 

5.  Give  instances  of  men  being  led  to  ruin  by  evil  com- 
panions. 


ON    THE   STRUCTURE   OP   THEMES.  131 

6.  How  good  companions  lead  us  to  good  actions.     Give 
instances. 

7.  Moral.  —  How  careful  we  should  be  in  our  choice  of 
friends. 


LESSON  XLIX. 

Write  an  essay  on  The  Vanity  of  Riches,  taking  the 
following  for  your  scheme,  which  must  be  expanded. 

1.  By  weak  minds  the  possession  of  wealth  is  considered 
the  greatest  earthly  happiness. 

2.  But  the  possession  of  wealth  always  falls  short  of  our 
expectations. 

3.  As  we  acquire  wealth  our  wants  increase,  so  that  we 
are  never  satisfied. 

4.  Kich  men  are  led  into  temptation. 

5.  They  are  never  sure  of  the  sincerity  of  their  friends 
and  dependants. 

6.  Wealth  will  not  prevent  illness  or  death. 

7.  However  rich  a  man  may  be,  he  cannot  always  spend 
his  money  upon  his  own  actual  enjoyment.  Peter  the  Great, 
with  all  his  wealth,  was  obliged,  by  order  of  his  physician, 
to  dine  off  a  mutton-chop. 

8.  Moral.  —  Therefore,  we  must  not  set  our  minds  upon 
earthly  wealth,  but  try  to  lay  up  the  riches  of  a  just  life. 


LESSON  L. 

Write  an  essay  on  The  Advantages  of  Industry,  taking 
he  following  for  your  scheme,  which  must  be  expanded. 


132  ENGLISH    COMPOSITION. 

1.  God  has  given  nothing  to  man  without  labor. 

2.  Every  man,  in  every  station  of  life,  has  need  to  be  in- 
dustrious. 

3.  An  idler  is  an  enemy  to  industry. 

4.  All  classes  of  society  benefit  more  or  less  by  the  in- 
dustry of  a  single  man. 

5.  An  industrious  man  has  his  time  so  occupied  that  he 
keeps  out  of  the  way  of  temptation,  whilst  idleness  is  the 
mother  of  all  evil. 

6.  It  is  the  duty  of  all,  not  only  to  practice  habits  of  in- 
dustry, but  to  persuade  those  over  whom  they  have  influence 
to  be  industrious. 

7.  Job  says  "  the  hand  of  the  diligent  maketh  rich." 

8.  Idleness  is  always  tiring,  and  work,  to  an  industrious 
man,  is  always  agreeable.  Dr.  Johnson  said  that  the  hardest- 
worked  man  in  the  world  was  the  man  who  had  nothing  to  do. 


LESSON"  LI. 

Write  essays  on, 

I.    Well  begun  is  half  done, 

taking  the  following  for  your  scheme,  which  must  be  ex- 
panded. 

1.  Show  with  what  reluctance  we  often  set  about  a  task. 

2.  How  apparent  difficulties  vanish  as  we  give  our  atten- 
tion to  the  work. 

3.  How,  by  beginning  to  do  good,  we  are  led  to  continual 
improvement. 

4.  How  the  first  step  is  always  the  most  troublesome. 

5.  How  the  first  steps  in  life  are  sure  to  lead  to  a  good  or 
evil  career. 

6.  Draw  out  the  moral. 


ON    THE   STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES.  133 

II.    One  bird  in  hand  is  worth  two  in  the  bush. 

1.  Show  how  we  should  never  lose  sight  of  the  reality. 

2.  Relate  the  fable  of  the  dog  and  the  shadow. 

3.  Point  out  the  evils  of  gambling. 

4.  Draw  out  the  moral. 


LESSON  LII. 

Write  an  essay  on 

Books  are  the  Medicine  of  the  Mind, 

taking  the  following  for  your  scheme,  which  must  be 
expanded. 

1.  Explain  the  meaning  of  the  thesis.  Show  how  it  was, 
according  to  Diodorus,  the  inscription  on  the  great  Egyptian 
Library. 

2.  Show  how,  in  distracting  the  attention  by  reading,  per- 
sons suffering  from  great  sorrow  alleviate  their  misery. 

3.  Give  instances.  (Goethe,  when  he  lost  his  son,  began 
the  study  of  a  new  science.) 

4.  Show  how  a  mind  harassed  by  ennui  would  be  stirred 
to  a  healthy  action  by  the  reading  of  daring  exploits,  adven- 
tures, and  battles. 

5.  How  the  wavering,  fickle  mind  would  be  subdued  by 
the  influence  of  contemplative  writings. 

6.  How  the  sad  are  cheered  by  light,  graphic  accounts  of 
social  incidents. 

7.  How  in  all  cases  of  mental  anxiety  good  books  are  great 
cures. 

8.  Give  what  extracts  you  can  in  support  of  the  thesis. 

9.  Give  what  examples  you  can. 

10.  Draw  your  moral. 


134  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


LESSON  LIII. 


"Write  an  essay  on  The  Value  of  a  Good  Character, 
taking  the  following  for  your  scheme,  which  must  be 
expanded. 

1.  Point  out  how  a  good  character  may  be  obtained  by  any 
person  in  any  sphere  of  life. 

2.  How  nobility  of  birth,  wealth,  and  power  do  not  estab- 
lish a  man's  good  reputation. 

3.  How  goodness  of  character  is  not  hereditary. 

4.  How,  although  circumstances  may  draw  a  man  to  com- 
mit errors,  he  had  better  lose  his  fortune  than  his  character. 

5.  For  if  a  man's  character  be  gone,  — 

a.  If  he  is  rich,  he  loses  the  respect  of  his  neighbors 
and  the  esteem  of  his  intimates. 

b.  If  he  is  poor,  he  loses  all  chances  of  employment, 
and  sinks  into  poverty  and  crime. 

6.  Relate  fully  the  following  fable,  making  it  bear  upon 
the  thesis  :  — 

Jupiter  has  given  to  all  men  a  rich  jewel  that  none 
can  take  from  them.  Some  throw  theirs  away ; 
others  lose  theirs  ;  some  few  find  again  the  treasure 
they  have  lost. 

7.  Show  that  if  a  man  lose  his  character  he  must  not  give 
himself  up  to  despair,  but  diligently  seek  to  redeem  it. 

8.  Show  the  influence  of  a  good  character  in  different 
phases  of  life,  and  contrast  it  with  the  feebleness  of  a  bad  one. 

9.  Give  instances  of  men  of  wealth  leaving  bad  names 
behind  them. 

10.  Give  instances  of  humble  persons  whose  names  are 
remembered  with  respect. 

11.  Show  how  a  good  character,  if  it  do  not  in  all  cases, 
will  invariably,  in  the  end,  bring  the  possessor  substantial 
benefit. 


ON   THE    STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES.  135 

LESSON  LIV. 

Write  an  essay  on  The  Effect  International  Expositions 
are  likely  to  have  on  the  Civilization  of  Nations,  the  Pro- 
motion of  Commerce,  and  the  Spread  of  Christianity,  tak- 
ing the  following  for  your  scheme,  which  must  be  ex- 
panded. 

1.  Give  brief  sketches  of  any  international  expositions  you 
may  have  read  of. 

2.  Show  how  necessary  it  is  that  the  spot  chosen  for  such 
a  purpose  should  be  an  appropriate  one. 

3.  Show  how  civilization  is  increased  by  — 

a.   The  gathering  together  of  the  learned  of  many 
nations,  and  the  consequent  interchange  of  thought. 
6.   The  encouragement  of  the  fine  arts. 

c.  The  stimulus  to  the  ingenuity  of  invention. 

d.  The  additional  means  and  inducements  afforded 
to  persons  to  expand  their  minds  by  travel. 

4.  Show  how  commerce  is  increased  by  — 

a.    The  advancement  of  international  trade. 
6.    The  inducement  of  competition. 

c.  The  means  of  advertising  to  the  world  the  value 
and  usefulness  of  particular  merchandise. 

d.  The  glimpse  offered  to  merchants  of  the  business 
customs  of  foreign  trade. 

e.  The  introduction  of  new  branches  of  commerce. 

5.  Show  how  Christianity  is  spread  by  — 

a.  The  opportunity  thus  afforded  to  religious  societies 
of  propagating  the  gospel  among  the  visitors  of  all 
nations. 

6.   The  exhibition  to  unenlightened  people  of  the 

I  superior  civilization  of  Christian  countries. 

c.   The  instigation  of  the  natural  instinct  of  a  man 


136  ENGLISH  COMPOSITION. 

to  worship   God  when  surrounded  by  so  many- 
beauties  and  wonders. 
d.  The  generation  of  a  social  feeling  among  the  widely 
separated  races. 


LESSON  LV. 

Write  an  essay,  comparing  Modem  Times  with  An- 
tiquity, taking  the  following  for  your  scheme,  which  must 
be  expanded. 

Prove  that  — 

a.  As  a  dwarf,  standing  on  the  shoulders  of  a  giant,  will 
see  farther  than  the  giant  himself,  the  moderns,  familiar 
with  the  discoveries  of  their  forefathers,  enjoy  a  more 
comprehensive  view  of  the  world  than  the  ancients. 

b.  The  ancients  lived  in  the  youth  of  the  world,  the 
moderns  live  in  its  maturity ;  hence  the  latter  enjoy 
the  blessings  of  experience. 

c.  The  ancients  might  have  had  greater  capacities  for 
aspiring  to  perfection,  the  moderns  have  greater  capa- 
bilities. 

d.  As  geographers,  the  ancients  were  limited  in  knowl- 
edge, for  they  had  not  discovered  the  polarity  of  the 
magnet. 

e.  As  historians,  they  were  hampered  with  belief  in 
prodigies  and  superstitions  that  led  them  to  distort 
truth. 

/.   As  moralists,  their  want  of  knowledge  of  a  future 

state  was  a  source  of  error. 
g.  As  warriors,  their  ignorance  of  chemistry  rendered 

their  battles,  as  compared  with  those  of  modern  times, 

mere  personal  encounters. 


ON   THE   STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES.  137 

h.  As  mechanics,  their  ignorance  of  the  powers  of  steam 
and  water  crippled  their  efforts. 

i.  In  sculpture,  it  is  true,  the  ancients  excelled  the 
moderns,  because  the  image- worship  of  their  temples 
held  out  encouragement  to  the  artist,  and  the  principal 
rewards  of  value  and  merit  were  public  statues. 

h.  In  poetry  the  ancients  equalled  the  moderns,  because 
their  mythology  was  eminently  calculated  to  foster 
poetical  fancy ;  and  the  scenery  of  nature,  the  lab- 
oratory of  the  poet,  was  all  ready  to  his  hand,  and 
wanted  no  development. 


LESSON  LVI. 

"Write  an  essay  on  The  Uses  and  Abuses  of  the  News- 
paper Press,  taking  the  following  for  your  scheme,  which 
must  be  expanded : 

1.  Give  a  brief  history  of  the  art  of  printing  newspapers. 

2.  Point  out  the  enormous  power  of  the  press  in  Amer- 
ica :  — 

3.  a.   Show  how  the  welfare  of  a  nation  is  upheld  by  the 

free  discussion  of  politics. 
6.   How  crime  is  detected  and  exposed  by  newspaper 
paragraphs. 

c.  How  cases  deserving  sympathy  are  brought  before 
the  notice  of  the  charitable. 

d.  How  education  is  aided. 

e.  How  commerce  is  increased  by  advertising. 

/.    How  dishonest  politicians  are  held  in  check  by  it. 
g.   How  a  thirst  for  knowledge  is  fostered  in  the 

minds  of  the  people. 
h.   How  the  human  heart  is  expanded  by  the  reading 

of  the  sufferings  and  struggles  of  our  fellow-men. 


138  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

4.  a.   Show  how  dangerous  a  weapon  the  newspaper  is  in 

the  hands  of  an  unscrupulous  editor. 

b.  How  the  people  are  stirred  to  discontent,  sedition, 
and  violence. 

c.  How,  by  pandering  to  a  vitiated  taste  for  the  sen- 
sational, it  becomes  a  propagator  of  vice. 

d.  How  it  may  be  the  medium  of  malicious  slander 
on  public  and  private  characters. 

e.  How,  by  unjust  criticism,  unfair  reporting,  and  the 
publication  of  falsehood,  it  may  generate  great  evil. 

5.  And,  lastly,  show  that,  however  jealous  the  American 
people  should  be  of  the  liberties  of  their  newspaper  press,  they 
should  be  equally  careful  to  guard  against  any  attempt  that 
may  be  made  to  relax  the  laws  that  have  been  wisely  framed 
to  protect  them  against  the  abuses  of  its  enormous  power. 


LESSON  LVII. 

"Write  at  full  length,  as  if  you  were  eye-witnesses,  a 
description  of  the  Combat  between  the  Horatii  and  the 
Curatii,  taking  the  following  for  your  scheme,  which 
must  be  expanded. 

1.  The  treaty  being  concluded,  the  three  brothers  take 
arms. 

2.  The  advance  between  the  two  armies. 

3.  The  signal  is  given  ;  they  close  in  combat ;  the  lookers- 
on  are  in  an  agony  of  expectation. 

4.  The  three  Albans  are  wounded  ;  two  Romans  are  dead. 

5.  Happily,  the  surviving  Roman  is  not  wounded  ;  to 
divide  his  adversaries,  he  feigns  flight. 

6.  He  slays  another  Alban  ;  grief  of  the  Alban  army. 

7.  Romans  shout  with  delight  ;  he  kills  a  second  Alban. 


ON    THE   STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES.  139 

8.  There  remains  now  but  one  combatant  on  each  side  ; 
the  Roman  unwounded,  his  antagonist  weak  and  bleeding. 

9.  The  spent  Alban  drags  his  failing  limbs  to  the  en- 
counter ;  the  Roman  stabs  him  through  the  heart. 

10.  Loaded  with  spoils,  Horatius  returns  to  the  camp  ; 
great  joy  of  the  Romans. 

11.  Each  party  bury  their  dead. 

Note.  —  As  a  specimen  of  such  description,  read  Livy's  account 
of  Section  3  : 

"  The  signal  is  given  ;  the  champions  march  three  and  three 
against  each  other,  themselves  alone  inspired  with  the  courage  of 
armies.  Both  sides,  insensible  to  their  own  danger,  have  nothing 
before  their  eyes  but  the  slavery  or  liberty  of  their  country,  whose 
future  destiny  depends  wholly  on  their  valor.  The  moment  the 
clashing  of  their  weapons  is  heard,  and  the  glitter  of  their  swords 
is  seen,  the  spectators,  seized  with  fear  and  alarm  (while  hope  or 
success  inclines  to  either  side),  continue  motionless,  so  that  one 
would  say  they  have  lost  the  use  of  their  speech  and  even  of 
breath." 


LESSON   LVIIL 

Write  an  essay  on  this  passage  from  Shakespeare,  — 

For  H  is  the  mind  that  makes  the  body  rich  ; 
And  as  the  sun  breaks  through  the  darkest  clouds. 
So  honor  peereth  in  the  meanest  habit, 

taking  the  following  for  your  scheme,  which  must  be 
expanded. 

1.  Explain  at  full  length  the  meaning  of  the  thesis. 

2.  Show  how  a  man  may  be  born  to  wealth,  and  yet,  from 
the  poverty  of  his  mind,  be  a  pitiable  object. 

3.  Give  instances  in  support  of  this. 


140  ENGLISH    COMPOSITION. 

4.  Show  how  a  man  without  land  or  money  may  be  rich 
in  the  possession  of  mental  qualifications. 

5.  Give  instances  of  this. 

6.  Give  extracts  from  the  works  of  any  authors  in  support 
of  your  assertion. 

7.  Draw  out  your  moral. 


LESSON  LIX. 

Write  an  essay  on  Time  a  Paradox,  taking  the  follow- 
ing for  your  scheme,  which  must  be  filled  up. 

1.  Time  is  undefinable.   The  past  is  gone,  the  future  has  not 
come,  and  the  present  becomes  past  even  while  we  speak  of  it. 

2.  Time  measures  all  things,  but  is  itself  unmeasurable. 

3.  Time  discloses  everything,  but  is  itself  a  mystery. 

4.  Time  advances  like  the  slowest  tide,  but  retreats  like 
the  swiftest  torrent. 

5.  Time  is  the  cradle  of  ambition,  —  and  its  grave  ! 


LESSON  LX. 

Write  an  essay  on  pearl-fishing,  taking  the  following 
for  your  notes,  which  must  be  expanded. 

1.  A  pearl  is  a  concretion  of  a  bluish- white  color,  found  in 
the  interior  of  some  oysters  and  mussels. 

2.  The  most  important  fishery  is  at  Ceylon. 

3.  A  fleet  of  pearl-fishing  boats  consists  of  about  nine  ves- 
sels, each  manned  by  eight  sailors  and  two  divers. 

4.  Oyster-beds  sometimes  extend  for  ten  miles  in  length 
and  two  in  breadth. 

5.  Certain  ablutions  and  incantations  are  observed  previous 
to  starting. 


ON    THE    STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES.  141 

6.  The  boat  having  reached  the  spot  selected  for  fishing, 
the  anchor  is  cast. 

7.  Outside  the  boat  is  erected  a  floating  scaffolding,  from 
which  the  diver  starts. 

8.  A  heavy  stone  is  attached  to  a  long  rope,  with  a  stirrup 
just  above  the  weight. 

9.  This  is  lowered  into  the  water,  the  diver  having  pre- 
viously placed  his  foot  in  the  stirrup. 

10.  He  is  in  this  manner  lowered  to  the  bottom,  bearing 
with  him  a  basket. 

11.  On  reaching  the  bottom  he  throws  himself  upon  his 
face,  and  grasping  everything  he  can  lay  hands  on,  rapidly 
fills  his  basket. 

12.  The  oysters  being  taken  on  shore,  are  allowed  to  get 
putrid.  The  animal  matter  is  then  easily  washed  away,  and 
the  pearls  are  secured. 


LESSON  LXI  * 

Write  an  essay  on  The  Eloquence  of  the  Sacred  Writ- 
ings.  Divide  your  remarks  into  the  following  headings, 
giving  extracts  to  support  your  assertions,  and  showing 
how  forcibly  they  support  your  thesis. 

1.  Simplicity. 

2.  Grandeur. 

3.  Imagery. 

4.  Beauty  of  Description. 

5.  Figures. 

a.  Metaphor. 

b.  Repetition. 

c.  Apostrophe. 

*  Three  or  four  lessons  may  be  profitably  devoted  to  the  prepara- 
tion of  this  important  theme. 


, 


142  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

6.  Delineations  of  the  Passions. 

a.  Simplicity  of  childhood. 

b.  Filial  affection. 

c.  Exuberance  of  joy. 

d.  Tendernees. 

e.  Insatiability  of  ambition. 

Examples  and  Suggestions. 
1.    Simplicity. 

Luke  xxiii.  33  :  "  There  they  crucified  him." 
The  very  simplicity  of  these  words  proves  to  us  that  the 
Evangelists  were  directed  by  the  hand  of  God.  What  mortal 
writer  would  have  spoken  in  so  unaffected  a  manner  of  a 
father  who  had  laid  down  his  life  for  him  1  There  is  no 
passionate  detail  of  his  sufferings,  no  emotion,  no  outburst 
of  gratitude,  no  appeal  to  the  feelings  of  compassion  or  sur- 
prise. The  fact  is  simply  recorded,  —  they  crucified  him 
there. 

Genesis  i.  16  :  "He  made  the  stars  also." 

Can  anything  be  more  simple,  yet  more  august  1  God 
adorns  the  universe  with  these  infinite  wonders,  and  the 
stupendous  act  is  recorded  in  a  word  !  How  many  beauties 
are  comprehended  in  this  brief  sentence  !  When  we  gaze  in 
wondering  rapture  on  the  firmament,  set  with  innumerable 
gems,  and  when  we  consider  the  order  and  going  of  these 
mysterious  myriads  of  heavenly  worlds,  we  marvel  at  the 
exquisite  simplicity  of  the  hand  that  wrote  "he  made  the 
stars  also" 

Comment  upon  the  simplicity  of  the  story  of  the  in- 
tended sacrifice  of  Isaac. 


on  the  structure  op  themes.  143 

2.    Grandeur. 

Genesis  i.  1  :  "In  the  beginning  God  created  the  heaven  and 
the  earth." 

How  majestic  is  this  commencement  of  the  Holy  Writ ! 
Without  the  inspiration  of  God,  a  man  would  have  set  about 
the  record  of  so  mighty  a  subject  with  a  rhapsody  of  pompous 
expression  ;  but  here  we  burst  into  the  full  revelation  of  the 
mysterious  history  without  a  word  of  preface,  —  from  chaos 
to  heaven  and  earth  ;  from  darkness  to  light ;  from  space  to 
being. 

Comment  upon  the  grandeur  of  the  following  passages  : 

Genesis  i.  3  :  "  God  said,  Let  there  be  light,  and  there 
was  light." 

Isaiah  vii.  7  :  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  It  shall  not  stand, 
neither  shall  it  come  to  pass." 

Psalm  xxxvii.  35,  36  :  "I  have  seen  the  wicked  in  great 
power,  and  spreading  himself  like  a  green  bay-tree.  Yet  he 
passed  away,  and,  lo,  he  was  not ;  yea,  I  sought  him,  but  he 
could  not  be  found." 

Also  take  for  comment,  Psalm  xxxix.  6  ;  Exodus  iii. 
14  j  Daniel  vi.  14-31. 

3.   Imagery. 

Comment  upon  the  imagery  displayed  in  the  follow- 
ing passages  : 

Isaiah  ix.  6  :  "  And  the  government  shall  be  upon  his 
shoulder." 

Psalm  xciii.  1  :  "  The  Lord  reigneth,  he  is  clothed  with 
majesty  :  the  Lord  is  clothed  with  strength,  wherewith  he 
hath  girded  himself." 


144  english  composition. 

4.   Beauty  of  Description. 

Comment  upon  the  beauty  of  the  description  of  the 
war-horse  in  Job  xxxix.  19-25. 

5.   Figures. 
Explain  the  metaphor  in 

Job  xxxiv.  22  :  "  There  is  no  darkness,  nor  shadow  of 
death,  where  the  workers  of  iniquity  may  hide  themselves." 

Comment  on  the  repetition  in 

Jeremiah  xxxi.  28  :  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  like  as 
I  have  watched  over  them,  to  pluck  up,  and  to  break  down, 
and  to  throw  down,  and  to  destroy,  and  to  afflict ;  so  will  I 
watch  over  them,  to  build,  and  to  plant,  saith  the  Lorcfr" 

Explain  the  apostrophe  in  Psalm  cxxxvii.  4,  5,  6  ;  Jere- 
miah xlvii.  6,  7. 

6.   Delineations  of  the  Passions. 

Comment  on  the  innocence  of  Joseph  in  relating  his 
dreams,  which  were  to  arouse  the  cupidity  of  his 
brothers. 

Comment  on  the  filial  affection  of  Joseph  in  Genesis 
xlv.  2,  3. 

Comment  on  Ehoda's  exuberance  of  joy  in  Acts  xii.  14. 

Comment  on  the  tenderness  displayed  in  Isaiah  i.  2,  3. 

Comment  on  the  insatiability  of  ambition  of  Haman  in 
Esther  v.  13. 


ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THEMES.         145 


Miscellaneous  Subjects  for  Themes. 

1.  The  benefits  of  adversity. 

2.  The  evanescence  of  beauty. 

3.  Cruelty  to  animals. 

4.  "  Charity  covereth  a  multitude  of  sins." 

5.  The  advantages  of  civility  and  politeness. 

6.  The  baseness  of  ingratitude. 

7.  Mutual  forbearance. 

8.  The  necessity  of  early  religious  instruction. 

9.  The  proper  employment  of  time. 

10.  Memoir  of  Washington  Irving. 

11.  To  insult  misfortune  is  unworthy  of  an  honest  man. 

12.  We  are  always  forgetting  the  enjoyments  we  possess. 
]£  Virtue  and  vice  are  as  different  as  light  and  darkness. 

14.  Wisdom  leads  us  to  happiness. 

15.  Do  not  despise  poverty. 

16.  A  description  of  Paul's  shipwreck. 

17.  "  Lifted  so  high 

I  disdained  subjection,  and  thought  one  step  higher 
Would  set  me  highest." 

18.  "  Sounds,  not  arms,  shall  win  the  prize  ; 

Harmony  the  road  to  fame." 

19.  "  Life  is  but  an  empty  dream." 

20.  The  influence  of  surroundings  on  the  mind. 

21.  On  the  changes  of  the  seasons. 

22.  On  the  barometer. 

23.  The  character  of  Lafayette. 

24.  "  To  gild  refined  gold,  to  paint  the  lily, 

To  throw  a  perfume  on  the  violet, 

To  smooth  the  ice,  or  add  another  hue 

Unto  the  rainbow,  or,  with  taper  light, 

To  seek  the  bounteous  eye  of  heaven  to  garnish, 

Is  wasteful  and  ridiculous  excess." 


146  ENGLISH    COMPOSITION. 

25.  "  There  *s  a  divinity  doth  shape  our  ends, 

Rough  hew  them  how  we  will." 

26.  "  The  evil  that  men  do  lives  after  them  ; 

The  good  is  oft  interred  with  their  bones." 

27.  "  One  touch  of  nature  makes  the  whole  world  kin." 

28.  "  The  better  part  of  valor  is  discretion." 

29.  "  0,  what  a  tangled  web  we  weave 

When  first  we  practise  to  deceive  ! " 

30.  "  We  take  no  note  of  time 
But  from  its  loss  ;  to  give  it  then  a  tongue 

Is  wise  in  man." 

31.  "A  thing  of  beauty  is  a  joy  forever  : 

Its  loveliness  increases  ;  it  will  never 
Pass  into  nothingness." 

32.  On  steam. 

33.  On  solitude. 

34.  Knowledge  is  power. 

35.  The  waste  of  war. 

36.  The  emptiness  of  vanity. 

37.  The  forgiveness  of  injuries. 

38.  Virtus  est  sua  merces. 

39.  It  is  better  to  have  a  good  conscience  and  be  poor,  than 
a  guilty  one  and  be  rich. 

40.  Truth  is  the  straightest  way  to  an  end. 

41.  "  Words  may  be  counterfeit, 
False  coined,  and  current  only  from  the  tongue 
Without  the  mind." 

42.  "  Let  thy  discourse  be  such,  that  thou  may'st  give 

Profit  to  others,  or  from  them  receive. 

43.  Vita  sine  Uteres  vera  mors  est 

44.  "  For  the  whole  world  without  a  native  home 

Is  but  a  prison." 

45.  "  You  '11  find  the  friendship  of  the  world  is  show,  — 

Mere  outward  show." 

46.  What  will  Mrs.  Grundy  say  ? 


ON   THE   STRUCTURE   OF   THEMES.  147 

47.  l<  The  sweetest  cordial  we  receive  at  last 

Is  conscience  of  our  virtuous  actions  past." 

48.  "  The  quality  of  mercy  is  not  strained  ; 

It  droppeth  as  the  gentle  dew  from  heaven  . 
Upon  the  place  beneath." 

49.  The  events  of  your  school-life  during  the  past  month. 

50.  "Finis." 


1-48  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 


A  CATECHISM  OF  VERSIFICATION,  OR  PROSODY. 


Q.  What  is  versification  ? 

A.   Versification  is  the  art  of  making  verses. 

Q.   What  is  it  called  in  grammar  ? 

A.  Versification  is  called  in  grammar  prosody,  from  two 
Greek  words,  pros  and  ode. 

Q.  What  are  the  two  most  prominent  features  in  forming 
verses  1 

A.  The  two  most  prominent  features  in  forming  verses 
are  :  1.  Rhythm  ;  2.  Rhyme. 

Q.  What  are  the  various  names  applied  to  poetical  compo- 
sitions ? 

A.  Blank  verse,  lyric  verse,  elegiac  verse,  pastoral  verse, 
didactic  verse,  epic  poetry,  dramatic  poetry. 

Q.   What  is  blank  verse  ? 

A.  Blank  verse  has  no  rhyme,  consists  of  five  feet  to  each 
line,  and  is  used  chiefly  in  dramatic  or  epic  poetry. 

Q.   What  is  lyric  verse  1 

A,   Lyric  verse  is  the  verse  in  which  songs  are  written. 

Q.   What  is  elegiac  verse  1 

A.  Elegiac  verse  is  of  a  mournful  character,  chiefly  in 
memory  of  the  dead. 

Q.   What  is  pastoral  verse  ? 

A.  Pastoral  verse  is  descriptive  of  country  life,  sometimes 
called  bucolics. 

Q.   What  is  didactic  verse  ? 

A.   Didactic  verse  contains  direct  moral  teaching. 

Q.  What  is  epic  verse  ] 


VERSIFICATION,    OR   PROSODY.  149 

A.   Epic  verse  treats  of  some  grand  historical  subject. 
Q.   What  is  dramatic  verse  1 

A.  Dramatic  verse  is  in  dialogue,  and  chiefly  in  the  form 
of  blank  verse  ? 

Ehythm. 

Q.   What  is  rhythm  ? 

A.  By  rhythm  is  meant  the  regular  recurrence  of  accented 
and  unaccented  syllables.  There  may  be  rhythm  in  prose, 
but  it  is  not  required  to  follow  in  regular  measure,  as  in  verse. 

Q.   What  is  euphony  ? 

A.  When  the  ear  is  pleased  in  prose,  we  say  the  words  are 
arranged  with  due  regard  to  euphony, 

Q.   What  is  accent  ? 

A.  Accent  is  a  peculiar  modulation  of  the  voice,  marking 
a  syllable  of  a  word. 

Q.    Give  instances. 

A.   Dissyllable  :  Deter',  confuse',  harvest,  in'come. 
Trissy liable  :  Interfere',  delight'ful,  la'borer. 
Polysyllable  :  Con'querable,  innu'merable. 

Q.  When  the  accent  falls  on  the  last  syllable,  what  is  it 
said  to  be  on  ] 

A.  When  the  accent  falls  on  the  last  syllable,  it  is  said  to 
be  on  the  ultimate  (ultimus,  last)  ;  as  provide',  remain'. 

Q.  When  the  accent  falls  on  the  last  syllable  but  one,  what 
is  it  said  to  be  on  1 

A.  When  the  accent  falls  on  the  last  syllable  but  one,  it  is 
said  to  be  on  the  penult  (pene,  almost ;  ultimus)  ;  as  propor- 
tion, depend'ent. 

Q.  When  the  accent  falls  on  the  last  syllable  but  two,  what 
is  it  said  to  be  on  1 

A.  When  the  accent  falls  on  the  last  syllable  but  two,  it  is 
said  to  be  on  the  antepenult  {ante,  before  ;  and  pene,  ultimus)  ; 
as  marjesty,  pa'triot,  mem'ory. 


150  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

Q.  What  is  a  foot  1 

A.   A  foot  consists  of  a  certain  number  of  syllables. 

Q.   What  are  the  chief  feet  of  English  poetry  ? 

A.  The  chief  feet  of  English  poetry  are  the  iambus,  trochee, 
anapcest,  and  dactyl. 

Q.   What  is  an  iambus  ? 

A.  An  iambus  is  a  foot  consisting  of  one  short  syllable  and 
one  long  one,  as  w  — ,  betray,  incline. 

Q.   What  is  a  trochee  ? 

A.  A  trochee  is  a  foot  consisting  of  one  long  syllable  and  a 
short  one,  as  —  ~,  hateful,  dismal. 

Q.  What  is  an  anapaest  1 

A.  An  anapaest  is  a  foot  consisting  of  two  short  syllables 
and  a  long  one,  as  w  ^  — ,  contravene,  intercede. 

Q.   What  is  a  dactyl  ? 

A.  A  dactyl  is  a  foot  consisting  of  one  long  syllable  and 
two  short  ones,  as  —  ^  ^,  neighborhood,  easterly. 

Q.   What  are  the  subordinate  feet  of  poetry  ? 

A.   The  subordinate  feet  of  poetry  are  spondee ,  pyrrhic 

^  ">-,  amphibrach  w  —  w,  tribrach  ^  ^  w. 

Iambic  Verse. 

Q.  What  do  you  know  about  iambic  verse  ? 

A.  That  the  greater  part  of  English  poetry  is  written  in  it. 

Q.  How  may  feet  are  there  in  iambic  measure  ? 

A.  Either  three,  four,  five,  six,  or  seven. 

Q.  Give  examples. 

A.  Three  feet,  or  trimeter. 

In  pla  |  ces  far  |  or  near,  | 
Or  fa  |  mo  as  or  |  obscure,  | 
Where  whole  |  some  is  |  the  air,  | 
Or  where  |  the  most  |  impure.  | 


VERSIFICATION,    OR   PROSODY.  151 

Four  feet,  or  tetrameter  : 

The  stag  |  at  eve  |  had  drunk  |  his  fill, 

"When  danced  |  the  moon  |  on  Mon  |  an's  rul.  | 

Five  feet,  or  pentameter  : 

Prodi  |  gious  ac  |  tions  may  |  as  well  |  be  done 
By  weav  |  er's  is  |  sue  as  |  by  prin  |  ce's  son. 

Six  feet,  or  hexameter  :  * 
A  need  |  less  Al  |  exan  |  drine  ends  |  the  song, 
That  like  |  a  wound  |  ed  snake  |  drags  its  |  slow  length  |  along. 

Trochaic  Metre. 
Q.  Give  examples  of  trochaic  metre. 
A.  Two  feet: 

On  a  |  mountain, 

By  a  |  fountain, 

Lay  the  |  shepherd 

With  his  |  pipe. 

Three  feet : 

"When  our  |  hearts  are  ]  mourning. 
Three  feet,  with  an  extra  or  residuary  syllable  : 

Earth  to  |  earth  and  |  dust  to  ]  dust, 

Here  the  |  evil  |  and  the  |  just, 

Here  the  |  matron  |  and  the  |  maid, 

In  one  |  silent  |  bed  are  |  laid. 


*  This  form  is  called  heroic  measure. 


152  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

Four  feet  : 

But  a  |  mid  my  |  broken  |  slumbers 
Still  I  |  heard  those  |  magic  |  numbers, 
Till  their  |  chimes  in  |  sweet  col  |  lision 
Mingled  [  with  each  |  wand'ring  |  vision. 

Five  feet  : 

All  that  |  walk  on  |  foot  or  |  ride  in  |  chariots, 
All  that  |  dwell  in  |  pala  |  ces  or  |  garrets. 

Then  me  |  thought  I  |  heard  a  |  hollow  |  sound 
Gath'ring  |  up  from  |  all  the  |  lower  |  ground. 

Anapaestic  Measure. 

Q.   Give  examples  of  anapaestic  measure  : 
A.   Two  feet: 

All  our  la  |  bor  must  fail 

If  the  wick  |  ed  prevail. 

Three  feet : 

I  am  mon  |  arch  of  all  |  I  survey ; 
My  right  |  there  is  none  |  to  dispute. 
From  the  cen  |  tre  all  round  |  to  the  sea 
1  am  lord  |  of  the  fowl  |  and  the  brute. 

Four  feet : 

The  Assyr  |  ian  came  down  |  like  the  wolf  |  on  the  fold, 

And  his  co  |  horts  were  gleam  |  ing  with  pur  |  pie  and  gold. 


VERSIFICATION,    OR   PROSODY.  153 

i 

Dactylic  Measure. 
Q.   Give  examples  of  dactylic  measure  : 
Bird  of  the  |  wilderness, 
Blithesome  and  |  cumberless, 
Light  be  thy  |  matin  o'er  |  moorland  and  |  lea. 
Emblem  of  |  happiness, 
Blest  in  thy  |  dwelling-place, 
0,  to  a  |  bide  in  the  |  desert  with  |  thee  ! 

Rhyme,  etc. 
Q.  What  is  rhyme  1 

A.   Rhyme  is  the  agreement  of  the  last  sound  of  one  line 
or  verse  with  that  of  another.     It  must  correspond  in  sound 
and  construction.    Love  and  dove  are  good  rhymes,  but  love 
and  prove  will  not  rhyme.     Higher  and  lyre  will  not  rhyme. 
Q.   Is  rhyme  confined  to  a  single  sound  ? 
A.   No  :  as, 

Pillow,  billow  ;  fellow,  yellow. 
Tenderly,  slenderly ;  family,  clammily. 

Alliteration. 
Q.  "What  is  alliteration  ? 

A.  Alliteration  is  the  frequent  recurrence  of  the  same  letter 
or  sound  in  a  verse.  It  was  at  one  time  the  leading  feature 
of  poetry.     Thus  : 

Zfow  high  Ms  highness  Tiolds  fas  haughty  ftead, 
J5egot  by  butcher,  but  by  Mshops  &red. 


Parallelism. 
Q.   What  is  parallelism  ? 

A.   Parallelism  is  the  repetition  of  the  same  idea  in  slightly 
different  words.    It  was  a  peculiarity  of  Hebrew  poetry  : 


154  ENGLISH   COMPOSITION. 

Let  the  people  praise  thee,  Lord, 
Let  people  all  thee  praise. 

0,  let  the  nations  all  be  glad, 
In  songs  their  voices  raise. 


Terms. 

Q.  What  are  two  consecutive  rhymes  called  ? 

A.   Two  consecutive  rhymes  are  called  a  couplet. 

Q.  What  are  three  consecutive  rhymes  called  ? 

A.   Three  consecutive  rhymes  are  called  a  triplet 

Q.  What  is  a  stanza  ? 

A.   A  stanza  is  a  group  of  verses  varying  in  length. 

Q.   What  is  a  Spenserian  stanza  1 

A.  A  Spenserian  stanza  consists  of  eight  heroic  lines  and 
one  Alexandrine,  so  called  because  first  used  by  Spenser  in 
the  Faerie  Queen.  Burns's  Cotter's  Saturday  Night  and  Byron's 
CJiilde  Harold  are  in  this  measure. 

Q.   What  is  an  ottava  rima  ? 

A.  Eight  lines,  the  first  six  of  which  rhyme  alternately, 
and  the  last  two  in  succession.  Byron's  Don  Juan  is  an  ex- 
ample. 

Q.   What  is  ballad  measure  1 

A.  Ballad  measure  (Gay's  stanza)  consists  of  four  and  three 
.measures  alternately. ' 

Q.   Of  what  does  an  elegiac  stanza  consist  ? 

A.  Elegiacs  are  usually  four  measures  with  alternate 
rhymes. 

Q.   What  is  an  epigram  1 

A.   An  epigram  is  a  sharp,  pointed  statement. 

Q.   What  is  an  epitaph  ? 

A.   An  epitaph  is  an  inscription  on  a  tomb. 

Q.   What  is  a  sonnet  1 

A.   A  sonnet  is  a  poem  fourteen  lines  in  length. 


VERSIFICATION,    OR   PROSODY.  155 

Miscellaneous  Exercises  in  Prosody. 

1.  Name  as  many  writers  as  you  can  of  the  following  kinds 
of  poetry  :  Dramatic,  elegiac,  pastoral,  epic. 

2.  What  are  the  peculiarities  of  rhythm  and  rhyme  ? 

3.  Explain  the  following  terms  :  Antepenult,  iambic,  te- 
trameter. 

4.  What  is  meant  by  a  Spenserian  stanza  1    Quote  one  and 
scan  it. 

5.  Criticise  the  following   rhymes  :    Heart,   dart;    earn, 
burn  ;  rain,  deign  ;  eyes,  sighs  ;  chill,  hill. 

6.  Scan  the  following  passages,  marking  below  each  the 
kind  of  verse  to  which  it  belongs  : 

"  Our  revels  now  are  ended  ;  these  over-actors, 
As  I  foretold  you,  were  all  spirits,  and 
Are  melted  into  air,  into  thin  air." 

"  Then  the  army,  elsewhere  bent, 

Struck  its  tents,  as  if  disbanding." 

"  The  sanguine  sunrise,  with  its  meteor  eyes 
And  his  burning  plumes  outspread, 
Leaps  on  the  back  of  my  sailing  rack, 
When  the  morning  star  shines  dead." 

"  For  of  all  sad  words  of  tongue  or  pen, 
The  saddest  are  these  :  It  might  have  been." 

"  Gold,  still  gold  !  it  haunted  her  yet  — 
At  the  Golden  Lion  the  inquest  met  — 

Its  foreman  a  carver  and  gilder  — 
And  the  jury  debated  from  twelve  to  three 

What  the  verdict  ought  to  be  ; 
And  they  brought  it  in  as  felo-de-se, 

Because  her  own  limb  had  killed  her." 


Cambridge :  Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  Welch,  Bigelow,  &  Co. 


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